


Sound of Silence

by RottenKidNextDoor (PortalofWords)



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Bad Things Happen To Carlos, F/F, M/M, United States of Auradon (Disney) Is Not Perfect, auradon thinks carlos de vil is crazy, auradon wants them gone, banished!evie, darker isle, mal's gang is family, mute!carlos de vil, to all of them really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:29:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 54,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22019404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PortalofWords/pseuds/RottenKidNextDoor
Summary: Carlos de Vil doesn't speak much. Jay knows this. Mal knows, too, and she's okay with it. His silence has never been a problem for their gang. Until Auradon.orAuradon decides Carlos is as crazy as Cruella and all but signs the bill to get him sent back.
Relationships: Evie/Mal (Disney), Jay/Carlos de Vil
Comments: 148
Kudos: 658





	1. with dirty knees (i woke up hurting)

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone !! i've been teasing this longfic for awhile, and i'm so excited to finally be posting the first chapter ! this fic features a darker island and a darker take on auradon as well. a few general warnings for this fic (including the first chapter) are some hints at unwanted sexual advances, hints at sexual content in general (mostly applying to underage characters), some violence, and abusive parents. oh, and the island kids have pretty foul mouths :) 
> 
> alright on that note ! enjoy :)

The boy was crouched down low in the alley, the knees of his shorts caked with mud. Jay didn’t bother frisking him; the kid clearly had nothing on him but the dirty shirt clinging to his rib-racked frame. 

For a moment, Jay paused, hand on a pipe - ready to scale the thing, to launch up and out of sight. He didn’t have time to worry about the kids hungrier than he was; everyone here was all faring pretty poorly and if he stopped now, he might not get dinner. And on _this_ island, the game wasn’t altruism; the game had every man fighting for himself. 

But in the split second he took his eyes off the kid and onto the pipe, he caught a flash of movement in the periphery of his vision. Small, nimble hands suddenly shoved himself into Jay’s pockets and then out again, footsteps pounding on the uneven ground as the boy sprinted off, clutching a can of fruit Jay had just stolen from a vendor.

“You've got to be shitting me!” Jay let go of the pipe and started off after him, kicking himself for letting his guard down so quickly. 

The boy didn’t turn around, but he must’ve heard Jay’s pursuit because he picked up his pace, dodging around metal barrels and heaps of trash beside them. Jay was familiar with this part of town - he was familiar with _most_ parts of this island - but he knew this alley didn’t dead end. In fact, it was about to dump them both out into the busier bazaar. 

“ _Fuck,”_ Jay cursed again, jumping over a trash pile just as the boy’s head of white curls turned the corner. This kid was fucking fast. If he reached the bazaar, Jay might lose him for good - along with the can that held his dinner. He grunted, forcing himself to move faster, barreling forward.

It was ironic, really, and maybe it stung a little, too - to be stolen from by someone he’d written off as half-dead. Jay spent his life stealing things, finding the weak mark, acting on the one moment of someone’s weakness; he definitely didn’t enjoy having the tables turned on him. 

The kid was in sight again, weaving around people and stalls and carts, almost a blur of white among the shadowy, dirty landscape. For a moment, Jay thought he might’ve actually been bested by him, but then the boy ducked down the second alley on their left - one that ended in a dead, brick wall. 

_Bingo, you little shit._

Jay followed, nearly knocking over a rickety stall of half-cracked jars. Any other day, he would’ve slipped at least one into his pocket, but at the moment, all his focus was spent on the volant thief who’d had the audacity to try and steal from him. 

The end of the alley was straight ahead, and Jay watched as the kid seemed to realize his fatal mistake. His feet stuttered, shifting as if trying to reroute and find an escape. But Jay blocked the path now, and by the time the boy turned to face him, they both knew he was done for. 

Jay studied the kid’s face for a moment, picking over freckles and smears of dirt and mud. His arms were skinny, almost skeletal, but they’d managed to slip into his pockets without much trouble. He looked young, but older than Jay had initially thought. In fact, up close, he looked to be around Jay’s own age. Whoever this dirty boy was, he certainly had balls to steal something from one of the island’s most notorious thieves. 

“Hand it over,” Jay demanded in his most authoritative voice. Canned fruit was a pretty rare commodity on the island. Even if the date had long passed the one stamped on the lid, it usually tasted decent, and if they were lucky, the fruit inside hadn’t totally expired at all. Jay was not about to let some freckled skeleton take away his shot at a sweet, filling meal. 

Judging from the way the boy’s hands shook, Jay guessed he’d surrender the goods pretty quickly. But the boy just kept surprising him, apparently, because after a few beats, he took a stumbling step backwards and shook his head. His eyes were wide, but that damn can of peaches stayed tightly locked in his grip. 

“I said,” Jay repeated, following him. His voice got dangerously low. “Hand… it… the fuck… over.” He wondered if he was really going to have to waste time beating this guy up. The boy had nowhere to go, no place to hide; he couldn’t really be stupid enough to keep being stubborn, could he? 

But the kid just kept backing up until his back hit the brick and shook his head over and over again. With a frustrated growl, Jay lunged forward to either wring his neck or take the peaches back, but a flash of silver stopped him seconds before. A knife. The boy had a knife. 

Jay had one, too, of course, but by the time he produced it, the freckled thief’s blade hovered dangerously close to Jay’s neck. His outstretched hand was still shaking, but whether from fear or exhaustion, Jay couldn’t quite be sure. 

Sighing heavily, Jay shook his head. “You know I’ve got to beat the shit out of you now, right?” This boy - however frail and fragile looking - had taken his spoils, tried to escape him, and was now holding him at knifepoint; if Jay walked away now, he’d lose all credibility. “I’ve got a rep, dude. I literally can’t let you go now.”

It would be a shame to waste his energy on someone who already looked about ready to fall over. Staring at his wide-eyes and emaciated figure, Jay forced himself to cling to the fact that this kid had stolen from him. The boy was either very brave, very stupid, or very hungry - not that it mattered. An idea nudged at the back of Jay’s mind, wriggling in among the thoughts about the best way to knock the knife out of his hand. 

_Mal might even agree,_ his mind pressed. _Wouldn’t be the craziest thing she’s heard today, probably._

Making up his mind, Jay reached into his pocket. At the sudden movement, the boy took another step forward, pressing the knife right up against Jay’s throat.

“Shit, wait, I’m not -” Jay held up his hands. “Not reaching for a weapon, I swear. I’m getting a marker.” 

The boy squinted at him, as if trying to detect a lie - which would be an impossible feat. If Jay _had_ been lying, this boy - however ballsy - definitely wouldn’t be able to tell; lying was something Jay did very well. 

The kid must’ve decided he’d been telling the truth because he moved the blade off his skin just a tiny bit, still poised to strike in case Jay turned out to be crossing him; and Jay didn’t blame him - he had been known to do that quite often. But this time, he really did find the marker in his pocket and pull it out. 

“Look,” Jay showed him the pen. It was mostly out of ink, and he’d only picked it up that morning, but it would do the trick. “Just… hand me the can, okay?” 

If the boy had been reluctant to believe him about the marker, he definitely didn’t trust this new request for the can. He gripped it tighter, as if Jay would make another move to steal it. 

“Okay, if you won’t give it to me, just… hold it out,” Jay instructed, uncapping the pen. “I want to write something on the lid. Then, you can take it back and open it and eat it, I guess.” 

Slowly, almost painstakingly so, the kid held out the can - keeping his knife raised and ready. Jay shrugged and scrawled a quick, rough cobra crest on the top. He stepped back and slid the cap back on the marker, admiring his handiwork. It didn’t look too bad. 

“Try not to smudge it too much while getting that open, okay?” Jay watched as the boy turned the can in his hands to make out the crest on top. When he finally processed what he was seeing, his eyes opened even wider. 

So far, the kid hadn’t said a single word, and it seemed the pattern would continue. Though his lips twitched ever so slightly, not one sound escaped. Jay watch him study the cobra sign for a few more seconds before deciding to press on. 

“Look, you can eat the peaches, alright?” Jay said, his stomach grumbling in protest. “But keep the lid. Bring it to me tonight at midnight right here. Got it? Those can lids are sharp, so… use it as a weapon if anyone tries to mess with you. It’s got my mark. You should be pretty much left alone, but just in case. If you make it back here in time, I _might_ have a proposition for you.” 

The boy lifted his gaze from the can, fixing it on Jay carefully. He seemed to be weighing the options. Jay wondered what the chances of this kid actually returning were. He’d essentially been let off the hook with the peaches, so theoretically, he could take off and leave Jay waiting for nothing - especially if he didn’t know what kind of a proposition Jay might make. 

But Jay couldn’t offer what he had in mind just yet. It wasn’t only his decision, of course. First, he had to talk it over with Mal. This boy would just have to have a little trust in him - a virtue in very short supply on the island. 

“You gonna make it back here or should I expect to never see you again?” Jay held out for an answer, but all he got was a noncommittal shrug. Oh, well. He’d just have to wait and see at midnight. 

The boy scampered past him, blending in with the growing shadows. Jay gave himself a few seconds to dwell on the decision he’d just before shoving it out of his mind. At this rate, he’d be showing up late for his evening meet-up with Mal _and_ empty handed to boot.

That was the thing about the island: in all the lawless, violent chaos, there was still _some_ semblance of order - certain meeting places and times, certain places to avoid, certain hierarchies to understand and abide by. 

And Mal? 

She was at the very top of the second-generation totem pole. Jay knew he stacked up pretty close, especially in thieving (which he privately thought he bested her at), but her wicked lineage somehow carried more weight in terms of fear, so she took the crown. Well, her mother took the crown; Mal took _advantage_ of it. She struck fear into most of the kids running around the streets, and Jay supposed he would consider himself rather lucky to be her ally if luck existed on the Isle (which it definitely didn’t).

Their hideout was located relatively close to the bazaar, which served them well both in proximity and subtly - hiding in plain and all that shit. When he reached the rusting iron stairs - gated off, of course - Jay checked over his shoulder to make sure no one had followed him. So far, he and Mal were the only two people who knew where the secret entrance was, and they liked it that way. 

As he threw a rock at a dented road sign a few yards away, the grate blocking the stairs clattered to life and raised just long enough for him to duck under. He scaled the spiraling flight with ease and moments later, stepped into the abandoned warehouse that had become his and Mal’s home base. 

“Mal!” Jay called as he stepped into the main room. “It’s eight o’clock. Your ass better be here.”

“Relax, shithead.” Mal emerged from one of the adjacent rooms, holding (thankfully) a few apples and some bread. “I’m here. And I brought dinner, so, you owe me because you look empty handed as hell.” 

“This just makes up for last week when I split that bottle of cider with you.” Jay took his share of the food without hesitation, collapsing onto the threadbare corduroy couch in the center of the room with a wince - the springs digging into his ass, as usual. 

“That was alcohol,” Mal protested. “It’s not the same thing.” 

They ate side by side for a few minutes in silence. Jay made sure to chew each bite carefully instead of inhaling it like he usually did; it wasn’t like he was _avoiding_ talking to Mal about the boy, but he wasn’t exactly tripping over his feet to tell her about him, either. 

Eventually, though, the bread and apples were gone, and Jay finally conceded to cleared his throat. “So, uh, remember how you were talking about needing someone useful the other day? Someone… who can go into the bazaar undetected? Someone who everyone underestimates?”

She regarded him carefully, raising an eyebrow. “Yes…” 

“I think I found him.” Jay waited for her reaction, trying to judge the subtle movements of her eyebrows and the small twitching in her lips. “The someone, I mean. He stole - tried to steal - from me today.” 

“He stole something?” Mal looked almost amused. “From you? Prince of Thieves? Son of Jafar? Master -”

“Shut up.” Jay shoved her arm. “He caught me off guard, and you _know_ how rare that is.” 

“You sure that’s something you wanna be bragging about?” 

A note of annoyance drifted into his tone. “I’m telling you this in confidence. And I’m serious. He’s the one. He grabbed something from me and just… took off.” 

“What was the something?” Mal still seemed too fixed on the fact that the boy had managed to take something from him; Jay gritted his teeth in frustration. 

“Not important! I think he could be useful!” 

“Was it food?”

“Fine!” Jay snapped, standing up. “Don’t listen. See if I fucking care.” 

Mal just rolled her eyes. “Stop being dramatic. I’m listening. Sit your ass down and stop beating around the bush. Did you or did you not ally with him?” 

“Not yet.” He remembered the can lid and shrugged. “I gave him a sign. My sign. For… temporary protection purposes. Until we decide whether he’s useful for us.” 

“Did he say anything about it?” 

Jay snorted. “About the sign? He didn’t say anything _period._ Not one word.” 

“Interesting,” was all Mal mused. “That’s interesting.” She paused and then - “Take me with you tonight. I wanna meet him.” 

Midnight rolled around fast, but then again, it always did. The list of things to do between the sunset and blackest hour was aided by nightfall, and Jay and Mal definitely knew how to take full advantage of the natural cover. They patrolled the edge of their territory, made a couple of late-night swipes from the pirate’s stash of fish and booze, and even managed to find some time to tag a few walls while they were at it (what was night work without a little fun, right?). By the time they’d looped back around to Dead-End Alley, Jay realized he’d been so caught up in the stealing and graffitiing that he’d forgotten to wonder whether the boy would _actually_ show up. 

“For all we know,” Mal whispered unhelpfully, “he grabbed those peaches and dipped.”

She had a point, but Jay felt obligated to argue anyway. “He kept my sign, though.”

“Yeah, what kid doesn’t want free protection for a day?” Mal shot back under her breath, leaning against the wall - one foot casually resting back against the brick. Among the shadows, she looked a lot older than she was; the roundness of her face was lessened at night, cut sharp by her lopsided purple locks. Jay thought it made her look more like her mother. 

“It won’t do him any good for very long if he doesn’t take us up on our offer,” Jay said. “I mean, temp signs are only good for a few hours; if it’s not backed up with something substantial, he’ll be in the same rut as before.” 

Mal didn’t answer, but Jay got that it was less a surrender and more of a bored dismissal. They listened to the island shudder and groan in silence. Somewhere in the distance, a cat yowled. 

“Jay, it’s way past midnight,” Mal spoke up finally. “Your guy isn’t coming.” 

Jay didn’t want to agree with her, but the facts were against him. The small, scrawny kid hadn’t shown so much as a curl. Trying not to feel let down, Jay shrugged. “Whatever. His loss, I guess.” Suddenly, he paused, picking his head up to listen. “Did you hear that?” 

Mal raised an eyebrow. “The cat? Yeah, I heard it. Doesn’t it have anything better to do than scream at us?” 

“No,” Jay put a finger to his lips, his fingers inching down to his knife. “Around the corner. Someone’s there.” 

“Think it’s him?” 

Shrugging, Jay held onto his blade all the same. He’d given the boy a lid for protection; it would make no sense to hover at the edge of the alley unless the guy planned on double crossing him, which Jay supposed he couldn’t rule out. 

Whatever the case, the hairs on the back of his neck were raised, which meant they definitely weren’t alone. Mal had apparently seen his instincts pay off enough times not to question him because she drew her knife, too, waiting. 

Creeping along the wall, Jay carefully slid towards the corner and prepared to peek out. As soon as his boot hit the cement on the other side, he came face to face with a small, white-haired kid brandishing a knife in one hand and a can lid in the other. 

“Christ.” Jay put his own weapon down a little, glancing the small boy over a few times. He looked pretty much the same, save one gash on his forehead that hadn’t been there the last time they’d met. The blood had crusted over some, but the thing still looked fresh. Jay waited for him to lower the can lid, the sharp edge glinting in the flickering glow of a streetlamp nearby, but the kid kept it poised to strike. “I gave you that to hurt other people, not us.” 

The boy didn’t answer, the lid staying stubbornly in the air. And - if Jay wasn’t mistaken - a low rumbling noise was also coming from the boy’s throat. Was the kid growling? It was the first time Jay had heard him make any sort of noise at all, even a primal one. His whole body seemed to be on edge, too, directed back the way Jay had come, as if fixed on a particular mark. 

“What?” Jay shook his head. “There’s no danger back there. I already scoped the place out.” 

Nothing. 

“Look, I don’t have time for this! I told you to meet me here - not fuck around and almost stab me with that lid. It’s just us back there. No one else.” 

At the word “us”, the rumbling got louder. Definitely a growl. Oh. So maybe the kid didn’t like Mal. 

“You got a problem with Mal?” Jay shook his head, irritation sliding into his voice. “She’s on my side. She’s my ally. If you want to team up with me, she comes, too. Package deal. And she doesn’t stand for shit like this, let me tell you, so you can either take it or leave it.” 

When the kid didn’t move or even so much as bat an eyelash, Jay turned on his heel. If the boy wanted to be a stubborn ass, Jay certainly had better things to do with his night. He walked back down the alley, his footsteps echoing softly on the stones. And then Jay realized that his steps weren’t echoing at all - they were being shadowed; the boy was following him. One quick steal over his shoulder told him that the kid was placing his feet down exactly when Jay did, stepping on the same stones as if it were some sort of weird puzzle. 

“Wh -” Mal started to say as he came closer, but quickly stopped when she saw the boy following him. 

“Found him,” Jay told her wrly, gesturing over his shoulder. The boy definitely didn’t look like much, standing tense and still mid-movement, still clutching his blade and his lid. “Don’t think he expected you to be here. Seemed a little put off.” It was a gross understatement. 

Mal narrowed her eyes, combing his body with her gaze. She seemed to take in his small stature, his freckled face, his skinny frame. Everything about him looked fragile, and if Jay hadn’t been there to see the boy take his shit and run, he wouldn’t have believed the story at all. 

“You wanna make a pact?” Mal asked finally, still staring right at him. The boy stayed rooted to the spot, as if her stare held him down right there. “You willing to swear allegiance to me?” 

The kid didn’t answer, and Jay was starting to think that was his default. “I did, Jay spoke up, hoping to break the weird lapse. “It’s a binding sort of thing. So we know you’re not gonna hightail it to some other gang and leak our secrets. You gotta swear.”

The boy stayed stayed silent, fixing them both with dark, unblinking eyes. 

“We’ll write out the oath.” Jay asked, still holding out for some sort of reply or reaction. “And you’ll sign it. Does that sound good?” He mimed writing in the air, hoping for some sort of reaction - even a silent one. 

And finally, the boy nodded. 

From his pocket, Jay pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper he’d swiped from a trash heap that morning and the pen from earlier. He handed them to Mal, who pressed the paper against the bricks and did her best to smooth out the creases. As she began scrawling words onto the surface, Jay turned his attention back to the boy. 

He stood in a small patch of silver light, just bright enough to make visible his sharp cheekbones and soiled clothes. Old blood and dirt stained the collar of his shirt, and one sleeve had been ripped to shreds; Jay wondered whether he even had a shirt to change into. 

“Okay,” Mal announced at last, flourishing the paper a bit. “Sign at the bottom. In blood.” 

“Mal...” Jay _knew_ it was the rule. He’d done it; other gangs did it. When everyone on the island was a liar, cheater, and a thief, they weren’t left with many other options. The invisible dome around them kept out any sorts of spells, and blood oaths were the closest they could get to dark magic. There was a certain binding quality to them; a certain ancient magic that not even the barrier could keep out. Still, this boy looked about ready to topple over at any second. Jay wasn’t sure what would happen if they willingly let him lose more blood. 

“You know the rules,” Mal said firmly, still holding out the paper. “So is he going to use his knife or just hold it there like that?” 

The boy had yet to put away his blade and now, he raised it up slowly. Flicking his eyes over to Jay for half a second, he slowly uncurled his left palm and pressed the knife into the middle without flinching. Cupping his cut hand, he used his other pointer finger to dip in and drag along the cut. Every movement of his was careful and deliberate, right up to the way his finger met the paper. He wrote one letter, then returned to the cut for more blood before starting the next. When the boy finally stepped back, still cradling his left hand, Jay peered at the paper to examine his work. 

The name was blocky, shakily formed, and written in childlike, uppercase letters. “Carlos,” Jay read out slowly. 

“So that’s your name, huh, Spots?” Mal asked, glancing up from the oath. “Carlos?” 

He gave another tiny, almost imperceptible nod. 

“Carlos.” Jay let it sit in his mouth for a moment, testing it out. It was a pretty good name, and it suited the small, silent boy. “Well, Carlos, you’re under Mal’s protection now - and by extension, mine. Follow us. We’ll take you back to our place.” 

They turned to go, walking back along the dark alley and uneven stones. The night air was cool, almost cold - a bitter reminder that winter was on its way. Just before they turned back onto the main road, Mal grabbed Jay’s arm and came up close. 

“One slip up and he’s dead,” she hissed. “Can’t have him putting us in danger. He’s not much, Jay. He’s not much at all.”

“He’s enough.” 

The island was never quiet, not really. Even now, at this early morning hour, Jay could hear the whistles and shouts and clanging of the Isle inhabitants going about their nightly activities. As they got closer to the bazaar, lit bars and taverns spilled light and noise out into the streets. Drunken teenagers and adults stumbled out, yelling or arguing loudly. 

“Hey missy,” one of the men slurred, shouting Mal’s direction. “Why don’ you bring that body over here and hav’ some fun.” 

Mal’s body tensed and suddenly, she was right in front of him - her fist coming up to meet his nose with a crack that rang up and down the street. Her lip curled in an evil snarl as he crumpled to the ground, his two equally inebriated friends finally recognizing her.

“Shi’,” another one cried. “S’ that brat of -” He brought his hands up sloppily, trying to form horns on either side of his head. 

“Careful who you tangle with around these parts,” she growled, her eyes glowing green in the darkness. “Get out of here before I kill you all.” 

Jay watched as the men scrambled away, practically dragging Mal’s first victim away with them. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence; in fact, Jay would argue that it happened almost nightly. Her body had started to fill out, edging into the transition stage between child and woman. Jay had never thought of her in a particularly sexual way - she was just _Mal_. But it seemed the others on the island didn’t seem to agree. 

“It’s always me,” Mal huffed as they started on their way again, wiping her bloodied fist on her shirt. “They always call out me. But I can take them. They don’t know I can take them. I could’ve killed each one of them, Jay.” 

“I know.” He knew why they went after Mal - a slightly smaller form beside his larger muscles. In the darkness, they didn’t know what she was capable of until she’d practically slit their throats. “And you know I’d help you out if something went down, right?”

“I don’t need help.” 

“I know, but if you ever did.” 

They kept walking, almost to their hideout now. Jay caught sight of Carlos walking just a few feet away, well hidden by the shadows and caught his breath. He’d almost forgotten that the boy had been following them. Carlos glanced back over his shoulder to where the men had been standing, and Jay studied him carefully. 

“It’s alright,” he told Carlos at last. “Mal knows how to deal with brutes like them. They tend to go after kids a lot, especially at night. Makes them bolder for some reason. Look, see, we’re almost there now. Just a little more.” 

“Why bother saying anything to him?” Mal picked up a rock and threw it at their sign, listing to the hidden gate rattle to life. “It’s not like he’s gonna answer.” 

Jay pointed Carlos towards the newly revealed staircase, letting him go up first before ducking in after him. “He’s not deaf,” he told Mal as they climbed. “At least I don’t think so. You can hear us, right, Carlos?”

Ahead of him, Carlos nodded. 

“See?” 

Mal just rolled her eyes. 

“Okay, just up there,” Jay told Carlos, urging him forward gently. They entered into the warehouse, Mal striding across the room to light a couple of old oil lamps and flick on a few flickering lightbulbs Jay had swiped from his dad’s shop. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” Jay said, sweeping his arms around the place. “It’s not much, but it’s here if you need it. I wish I could spend all my nights here, but Dad gets on me if I don’t make it home at least a few nights a week to give him my spoils. Gotta stock the shop shelves, you know? Mal’s mom doesn’t really care what she does, though, so she’ll usually be here. Do you need to make it back home tonight?” 

Carlos didn’t answer, and Jay thought he heard Mal mutter something that sounded like “waste of time”. 

“You gotta go, Jay,” she said finally, pointing to the cracked clock on the wall. “You know how pissed he gets when you don’t show up. I’ll keep an eye on Spots.” 

Jay really didn’t want to leave; for one thing, he wasn’t exactly jonesing to see the disappointed look on his father’s face when he brought home a less-than-ideal haul, and for another, he didn’t feel right about leaving Carlos. 

Carlos still stood in the center of the room, his eyes moving slowly from wall to wall. His feet shifted nervously, like he wasn’t quite sure where to go. He still held his injured hand curled towards his chest, the blood smeared across his palm. 

“I’m guessing those peaches disappeared long ago, huh?” Jay spoke up at last, eyeing the boy’s ribs poking through his shirt. “You still hungry? Mal and I got a stash of cans stocked up. We’re saving most of them for an emergency - you know, in case the barges ever… stop coming…” he paused, shivering internally at the thought. “But we could probably spare one if you needed more food.” 

And although Carlos didn’t nod or make any noises, the glimmer of hope ignited in his eye for half a second told Jay everything he needed to know. He glanced at Mal, who grudgingly pulled out their bin of emergency food and passed one can over. 

“We’re sharing this, alright, Spots?” She prepared to open it with her knife. “Meals have been a little on the light side this week for us, too.” 

Jay sat down on the couch, followed by Mal, but Carlos didn’t make any move to join them. He stood a few feet away, watching them warily. 

“Hey,” Mal shook the can a little, like she was calling a dog. “Food’s over here.” 

“Mal.” Jay swatted her arm, shaking his head. “He can stand there if he likes. Carlos, do you want some of this?” 

Without warning, Carlos darted forward and grabbed the can, hugging it to himself and stepping back - stumbling over his own boots. Mal’s eyes flashed a warning green as she lunged after him - and probably would’ve caught him by the wrist if Jay hadn’t pulled her back. 

“Hey! Hey!” Jay kept a firm hold on her, getting to his feet and putting himself between Carlos and a very angry Mal. “Carlos, that’s not how this shit works. If you’re gonna join our pack -”

“If?” Mal snarled. “He already did! He can’t steal from his own damn -” 

“I’m explaining it to him!” Jay wondered how Carlos had been able to survive the island so far without understanding how the whole “pack-mentality” worked. Most people didn’t make it very far on their own; food supply was scarce and protection even more so if they didn’t have at least one ally to watch their back. “Look, Carlos, this isn’t like the rest of the island. It’s still every man for himself, but… with a little support. You can’t take all that food.” 

Carlos stared at him, his eyes wide and wild. At first, Jay only saw blankness and felt his heart drop - he _needed_ to get through to this boy if he was ever going to be useful to them - but then, slowly, he took a step closer.

“Give it back,” Mal ordered, holding out her hand. 

In response, Carlos bared his teeth - retreating again. He pressed his can to his chest again, curling his arms around it protectively. 

“Mal, _Mal!”_ Jay felt himself getting dangerously frustrated, standing between the enraged dark fairy and the growling boy. “Stop. He was handing it over! Don’t rush him.”

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want!” 

Mal’s anger was doing nothing to ease Carlos back over to them. In fact, the brighter her eyes glowed, the louder the rattle in his throat grew until the two of them were practically vibrating. 

“Both of you!” Jay fought to keep his voice steady. “Both of you, stand down! Fucking hell, stand down!” Turning to completely face Carlos, Jay held up both hands. “Neither of us are going to hurt you, okay? And I’m not saying you have to rely us or even trust us - not yet, anyway. But you gotta at least… take a chance. We gave you our word. You signed that oath. You’re ours now.” 

With every second Jay spoke, Carlos’ grip on the can lessened a fraction. Finally, almost by accident, it slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the floor. With his foot, Carlos kicked it towards Jay, watching it roll across the ground before coming to a stop at the edge of his boot. 

“Okay.” Jay leaned down to pick it up. “That’s a start. I’m gonna open this. And we’re gonna eat it as a team.” 

His skin prickled even as he said the word. Jafar never missed an opportunity to make it clear just how deeply he despised Jay’s alliance with Mal. 

_You’ll regret it, boy,_ his father’s voice purred in his mind. _That was my downfall. I waited too long playing nice with the sultan and his lust-worthy blood lily. You may think you’re doing yourself a service, but in the end, it will be your greatest weakness._

Jay shivered, rubbing at his arms. He barely registered that Mal was speaking to him until she tapped him on the arm. 

_“Jay!”_ she huffed. “Did you hear me? I said open the thing already.” Snatching the can away, she shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll do it myself.” 

They sat on the floor again, with Carlos still putting a good few feet of distance between him and the others. Jay watched him eat his share of the canned fruit, studying the way he licked every drop of juice from his fingers. No one wasted precious resources like sweet fruit on the island, but Carlos ate with the intensity of a boy who’d experienced something a lot more dangerous than hunger. 

“People take your food a lot?”

Carlos paused before giving him a noncommittal shrug. 

Jay wasn’t surprised. That sort of thing was about as common as head lice on the island, but (until that morning) Jay had never been too worried about it on his end. With the way his biceps rippled and the expansive amount of golden skin he showed, Jay knew he wielded his power skillfully. Carlos, though, couldn’t boast the same size or muscular build. Not that he wasn’t pretty - his full lips and wide eyes hadn’t gone unnoticed by any means - but the island valued wicked brawn over fairytale features. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Mal rolled her eyes, sucking a drip before it rolled down her wrist. “You’re drooling.” 

“Just hungry.” Jay had already polished off his cut of the fruit. 

She grunted in disbelief, but apparently didn’t have the patience to play games with him because a moment later, she cleared her throat. “Hey Spots?” Mal’s voice was sharp, but not angry. “You can’t pull that shit, okay? You’re one of us. I’m gonna protect you. But if you so much as _think_ about defecting, I will hunt you down and fuck you up. Got it?” 

This time, there was no mistaking Carlos’ curt little nod. He was still staring at Mal warily, as if she might strike again, but he looked attentive; perhaps they still stood a chance tomorrow in the marketplace. 

“Jay?” Mal turned her piercing gaze on him. He thought she might tell him off for getting in the middle of her and Carlos but she just shook her head. “Your dad is gonna be pissed. You should go.” 

“I don’t know which one would land me in hotter water,” Jay lamented for a moment, leaning back on his hands. “Skipping the meeting altogether or showing up late.” It was a lose-lose situation, and he knew it. His father was already stewing anger - to push it off completely might just get him killed at last. 

“Remember last time you tried to do that?” Mal’s eyes flicked to his shoulder where he knew a long, white scar ran in a scraggly path across the skin. His dad hadn’t been aiming for his shoulder, but the dagger had hit there all the same. 

“He missed.”

“He won’t miss again.” 

Throwing back his head, Jay groaned. “I don’t wanna fucking see him tonight.” 

Mal let out a little breath through her nose, and for a moment, Jay saw a flash of understanding there. “Yeah, well,” she shrugged. “I don’t think they care much about what we want.” 

After a few moments, Jay was aware of movement out of the corner of his eye. Carlos had scooted a little closer, listening intently. His eyes blinked slowly, and some of his earlier trepidation had melted away. 

“You got parents?” Jay couldn’t help asking it.

Carlos didn’t answer, but something about the way his tongue darted out across his lower lip did it for him. He doubted he’d get anything better than that, so Jay let it be. 

“I gotta go.” He rose to his feet, rolling his shoulder back. “Like I said, Carlos, you can stay here or leave. Just as long as you meet us in the marketplace at ten tomorrow.” 

And this time, Carlos nodded. 

“Hey, Jay.” Mal’s voice reached him before he stepped out the door. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw her eyes - blazing and green - glowing above a mouth set into a hard, grim line. “If he touches you…” 

“We’ll give him hell.” 

\----

Ten o’clock dawned cold and grey. 

Jay and Mal stood in the market, leaning against a brick wall as they surveyed the bazaar and all its glory. They usually spent a good ten minutes messing around - either harassing younger kids running by or creating scuffles over stolen bits from stalls. Today, though, they had a new mission: a new charge. 

Carlos stood beside them, the tips of his pale curls glowing softly in the early morning light. 

“Jay’s gonna do the heavy lifting,” Mal told them both in hushed voices, probably more for Carlos’ sake than Jay’s. “And Spots? You’re gonna clean it up. Take the shit he can’t. Look small, innocent, _unassuming.”_

Jay flexed some, blowing on his hands to warm them up. He needed his fingers to be in working order to slip under skirts and shirts. “Dragon Girl, you joining us today?” In the past, the two of them had tagged-team the bazaar runs, bouncing off each other’s reputation and strengths. But lately, Mal had been disappearing in the mornings under the pretense of “leader responsibilities.” Jay wasn’t an idiot; he knew there was some shady, secret business bleeding into the morning hours, but he didn’t press it. If Mal was keeping something quiet, he’d come to understand it was for good reason. 

“I wanna see how you guys work together,” came her response, quiet, but firm. “Impress me.” 

Jay nodded and turned to Carlos, gesturing to the people already trickling into the bazaar. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he had a sudden urge to test Carlos out solo in front of Mal. Maybe he wanted her to see what he saw. “More people are gonna start coming in. I’ll give you a mark, and we can see how well you do.” 

He picked a rather easy target to start - an older witch loitering at one of the stalls that boasted a rather impressive collection of cracked jars and vases. From afar, he and Mal watched as Carlos approached the woman, hunkering down low with hunched shoulders and a racking cough. The woman hardly paid any notice to him, sidestepping him with a turned up nose - not even bothering to hold the pockets of her cloak out of his reach. As she passed, Jay just caught the quick flash of a freckled hand diving into her cloak before he scurried under a stall and disappeared. 

Glancing over at Mal, Jay tried to gauge her reaction. Her mouth was expressionless, but he thought he caught a hint of approval in her eyes. 

“Not bad,” she shrugged. “But that was an easy mark. Anyone else, and he would’ve been caught or at least noticed.” 

“It’s a start.” Jay knew Carlos was an asset. Something in those bright, big eyes was different; intelligent. And that more than made up for his silence. “I’ve spent my life surviving on gut instinct,” Jay told Mal softly. “Trust me. He’s gonna be good for us.” 

Carlos popped up from underneath a different stall, coming back over to their rendezvous and presenting his findings. He’d gotten his hands on a gold pocket watch and several coins. 

“Cheapskate,” Mal muttered, eyeing the witch who was still browsing the jars. “Spotty, you’re gonna have to show us you can do that on some tougher marks. But for now, Jay will take you through the rest of the morning stock-up. I got somewhere I need to be.” 

As she walked away, Carlos’ eyes followed her. She hadn’t tried to take any of the things he’d stolen, and now, he stared at the collection of odds and ends - confused. 

“She doesn’t take what we steal,” Jay explained, hoping he’d interpreted his confusion correctly. “We get to keep it to handle whatever transactions or - or business we need. She knows we’ll put aside some of it for the pool.” Mal knew what Jafar demanded; what the punishment was if Jay didn’t pull through - so she never demanded any of his primary steals. Unfortunately, Jafar outranked them both. In fact, his body ached from his father’s punishment the previous evening; even alcohol couldn’t dull Jafar’s anger at being almost stood up. 

_The junk shop shelves aren’t gonna stock themselves, boy,_ he always said, usually punctuated by one or another gold coins slipping through his fingers and clattering on the table. Jafar kept them all cinched up in a ratty purple velvet bag, and sometimes Jay wondered whether they were the only thing keeping his father rolling out of bed day in and day out. 

Jay was jerked back to the bazaar by a soft quick tug on his sleeve. Turning, he saw Carlos nodding his head towards a new group of people heading into the market. Jay recognized them as Tremaine grandchildren. The once-aristocratic family still held themselves as near-royalty - despite the island’s indifference towards them - and they could almost always be counted on for a quick steal. 

Jay grinned at Carlos, motioning him forward. “Time to grab our lunch.”

They got almost half a loaf of bread, several apples, and even a bit of cheese for their trouble. When the boys walked into the hideout a few hours later bearing a lunch almost double the size Jay and Mal were used to, Mal’s eyes glowed intensely. 

“You guys did good,” she finally concluded, pouring a bit of cider from a flask to clean her knife before slicing into the meal. “This is more than we’ve had to eat in days.” 

Carlos rocked back and forth on his heels, looking almost pleased with himself. Or maybe he was just excited to sink his teeth into some actual fruit that wasn’t canned for once. As Mal doled out the portions, they eagerly shoved the bread, cheese, and fruit into their mouths. 

“Carlos?” 

The boy looked up, his eyes widening, and Jay realized it was the first time Mal had really addressed him directly by his name. 

“You still haven’t told us your lineage.” She laid a piece of cheese on an apple slice and almost hummed in pleasure as it entered her mouth. 

There were several moments of silence, and Jay figured Carlos would ignore her, but after a few more beats (maybe to polish off his last bit of bread), he unzipped one of his pockets and removed a fur tail.

Mal made eye contact with Jay for half a second before understanding dawned on her face. “Cruella.” 

Jay didn’t miss the way Carlos tensed when the name was uttered, how his fingers closed around the tail. 

“She as batshit as they say she is nowadays?” Mal asked, almost casually. 

Carlos didn’t answer. 

“You loyal to Cruella?” Mal was asking the important questions. They had to know where Carlos stood, what he would spill to his mother, if he’d rat them out given a chance or the right incentive. 

But Carlos shook his head, his tongue darting out across his bottom lip. Jay could feel the tension radiating off of him and waves. Attempting to diffuse his discomfort, Jay made a quick gesture with his hands - similar to that of someone turning a door knob halfway under. His hand created the letter “C” and held Carlos’ attention for a moment. 

“We’ll use this whenever we’re talking about her.” Jay wasn’t quite sure exactly what he was doing, but the name itself seemed to set Carlos off; perhaps some hand signals would make things easier for him. “See? To warn you or whatever.” 

Carlos copied the motion, his bright eyes quickly catching on. In a moment, he was mirroring Jay’s exact original sign. 

Cruella had become a simple hand signal - just a few twists of their fingers, nothing more. 

Once again, Carlos wet his lips. And then, in small, shaking voice, he whispered, “Bad.” 

Jay had never heard the boy utter a single word until now. His mouth dropped open a little, and his eyebrows shot up. So Carlos could talk. It had only been one word - and a pretty simple word at that - but at least they knew he could do it. Mal cleared her throat, looking only mildly interested - still, Jay caught the way her eyes widened and figured she’d been more surprised than she was letting on now. Now that they knew Carlos could talk, Jay wondered if he’d let on a little more or fall silent again. 

“Cruella is… bad?” he prompted, leaning a little closer like it was only the volume of his voice that kept him from hearing the other boy properly. 

“Yeah, no shit, she’s bad,” Mal commented suddenly, scoffing a little. “This is the Isle of the Lost, not Isle of the Saints.” 

Jay elected to ignore her and continue focusing on Carlos. “Bad… like… to you? What’s ‘bad’?” 

Carlos didn’t answer, only blinking at him steadily. 

“Mmm,” Mal mused, watching the two of them carefully. “Wonder if -” she paused, doing her best attempt to copy the sign, “ - you know - she knows where he is. He didn’t go home last night.” 

“He said he’s not loyal to her.” Jay turned to Carlos, raising an eyebrow as a thought occurred to him. “Did you run away?” 

It couldn’t be possible. Sure, the de Vil kid was scrappy and good with a knife, but alone? On an island full of perverts and villains? No doubt being hunted down by various goons and spies of his mother? Jay didn’t like those odds at all. 

“Yes.” Carlos’ voice was quiet, but it didn’t waver or tremble. Hearing it sent something straight down Jay’s spine; something he couldn’t quite explain. 

“Shit.” Jay stared at him. “So, what? You’ve just… made it this far on your own? And Cru - she hasn’t caught you, yet?” 

A pause and then - “No.” 

“So great, he knows the words bad, yes, and no,” Mal huffed. “Goddamn Iago could run circles around him.” But even though her words were harsh, Jay detected a slightly - possessive - tone in Mal’s voice. Carlos was growing on her.

“Is she looking for you?” Jay wondered if Cruella’s goons had their eyes on him. Maybe they’d already reported back to Cruella about his and Mal’s claim; maybe they knew he was theirs now. “Carlos, you know that we’re gonna protect you, right? Even if she’s hunting you down as we speak? How long ago did you escape? Is she -” 

“Jay.” Mal put a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment, he thought she’d go off about how pointless it was, but she only nodded in his direction and shrugged. “He spoke on his terms, not ours. He’ll tell us if he’s ready - _when_ he’s ready. Right, Spotty?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Carlos answered in a small, sure voice. Jay marveled at the sound of it, but felt a twinge of dread at how _obedient_ it sounded. Carlos - with lightning fast legs and golden eyes and quick-thrown knives - sounded much too submissive for Jay’s comfort. 

Mal must’ve agreed because she shook her head. “You don’t have to call me ma’am. I’m not my mother. Just Mal.” 

Carlos chewed on his lower lip, mulling that over. Finally, he nodded and whispered something that might’ve been, “Yes.”

And Mal smiled. “We’ll set you up with some blankets and pillows, alright? This is a safe place. She can’t get you here.” 

As Jay helped her grab old moth-eaten blankets and pillows without covers from their various stashes around the room, he tried not to dwell too much on Carlos’ home life. Most kids he knew had shitty places to crawl back to at the end of the day - certainly much worse than his. Perhaps his carpet roll wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was still a place to sleep. And unless he really didn’t produce a big enough haul, Jafar tended to let him stay there for most of the night. 

“I heard the pirates are thinking of taking another chunk out of the south side of the island,” Mal told him as they worked. “You know, along the cliffs?” 

“You still obsessing over that?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “I thought we had an arrangement for a truce.” 

“We did.” Mal’s face went dark, a storm brewing behind her eyes. “They broke it. Guess that arrangement didn’t last long, huh?” 

Jay knew all about arrangements - especially those that ended in soft gasps in dark alleyways. He had a reputation on the island, and everyone knew it. He’d never known Mal to be particularly obsessed with that sort of thing, but sometimes she was hard to read; he often wondered what went on when she disappeared. 

The small tent of various blankets and pillows looked comfortable, at least. The structure was questionable, but overall, Jay figured it would hold. He turned to Carlos, gesturing to it. 

“Hey, ‘Los,” he smiled. “You can sleep here, alright?” 

And although Carlos didn’t say anything else, Jay thought he saw the corner of his mouth into something like a smile. 


	2. it’s nice to have a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone !! chapter two is a go :) this chapter introduces some themes of eating disorders/suicidal mentions so if that's a trigger, feel free to skip ! <3

Jay had never been big on routines. 

He liked to switch things up, keep people guessing. It made life more interesting. Sometimes he attended school, sometimes he didn’t. Sometimes he and Mal would scrawl “fuck the system” on the walls, sometimes they wouldn’t. Sure, they had spoil quotas (for his dad and each other) and tasks to complete, but Jay rather liked the impulsive, spur of the moment days. 

Which was why it felt so unsettling to fall into a sort of routine the week after they claimed Carlos. He woke early to meet Carlos in the marketplace. They tag-teamed the unsuspecting (and the suspecting, too - Carlos was even better than he’d hoped) shoppers as they wandered from stall to stall. Mal met them all for lunch and went over the morning report (which gangs had moved where, who was fighting, which alleys to avoid for awhile.) And at night, the three of them stayed in the hideout - picking over what was left of the day’s hall and relaxing for a few hours before Jay’s dad needed to meet him or Mal had a date with her spray cans. Weeks bled into months, but surprisingly, Jay still didn’t really mind. 

He began to _look forward_ to his daily runs with Carlos in the marketplace. Instead of dropping off his haul and scattering, the two of them (and sometimes, Mal, too) stuck around - milling about and messing with passerbys until they found something better to do. 

Jay warned himself not to get too attached. They were _allies_ not friends. There was a big and fatal difference between those two labels and he intended to stay on the safe side of things - or saf _er,_ anyway. 

Most of the time, he could keep his toes behind the line just fine. But the darkest hours were dangerous. When all the running and fighting and adrenaline was stripped away, the three of them were left sharing cold meals wrapped in holey blankets. It was the basis for shared trauma; for solidarity; for figuring out they weren’t quite so alone on their dark, rocky island.

“You know,” Mal commented one evening, eating some sort of grain mush from a container Carlos had snatched from a couple of Gaston boys that morning. “This seems to be working. I’m gonna go ahead and let it continue.” 

Jay raised an eyebrow at Carlos, laughing a little. “Oh? I didn’t realize this was all a test.” 

Mal hummed a bit, shrugging. “It was. I’m the leader, remember, Jay?” 

“Oh, I remember.” He grinned at her. “You never let me forget it.” 

The daughter of Maleficent gave him a begrudging smile, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.” 

“Well, _Oh Powerful One,”_ he teased. “Do I have your permission to take another bite of the porridge you’re eating? 

She held out the container to him. “Sure, asshole, but don’t go getting it into your head that we’re _friends_ or anything.” 

Jay took a generous bite of the mealy grain and made a face. It was worse than usual - all crusted and dry. Truly, there was nothing he hated more than cold, stale porridge. Bantering with Mal helped take his mind off the taste, however, so he kept the repartee. “Of course we’re not friends. We just eat together and hang out together, and Big Bad Mal always shares her food with me. Isn’t that right?” 

“We _can’t_ be friends, Jay.” There was almost a hint of desperation in Mal’s voice; this wasn’t her island; these weren’t her rules. No matter how big and scary she appeared on the streets, no matter how many kids and adults shrank from her silhouette and voice, Jay knew better. He saw Mal just like she was now; starving, wrapping in a too-thin-thrown-out blanket, pretending to form no attachments to the kids she relied upon for survival. 

Carlos - who usually retreated to his blanket tent by this time of night - lingered nearby, listening. He was also wrapped in a blanket (and Jay tried to convince himself that he _hadn’t_ purposefully left the thickest one for him to grab), sitting cross-legged. He still didn’t talk much, but Jay was growing more comfortable with his silences. They weren’t so awkward now, especially now that he’d actually spent with the de Vil boy. 

“Does she hate friends, too?” Jay made the “Cruella” sign with his hand.

Carlos shrugged some, and Jay figured it probably meant yes. All of their parents seemed to write off attachments of any kind - platonic or romantic. 

Weakness. 

They detested weakness. 

And honestly, Jay didn’t really blame them; weakness in some form or another had led them all to this miserable existence - eating leftovers and forgotten by all except those unfortunate minions they kept around to torture. 

“None of our parents are big proponents of ‘friends’,” Jay said with a shrug. There was no use bemoaning the fact. No amount of whining would change it. “And I doubt they’re suddenly gonna be all for it in the near future.” 

“Well,” Mal looked around at all of them, “That won’t be an issue for us. Since we’re not friends.” 

She said it like she was willing it to be true. 

Suddenly, Carlos held out the piece of bread he’d been nursing for the last couple of hours. Blinking, Jay stared at it. 

“For me?” 

Carlos nodded. _Something_ was lurking behind his eyes, but Jay attributed it to the flickering candle lighting up the main room of their hideout. Slowly, he reached out his hand to take it, but the moment his fingers grazed the crust, Carlos jerked it away. His face broke into a grin, and he laughed softly. 

Jay had never heard Carlos laugh. It was cute - not too loud, but full of energy. The boy kept laughing, pleased with himself. Finally, he offered Jay half the bread for real this time. 

_So Carlos has a sense of humor._

Marveling, Jay wondered what else the boy was hiding. Things definitely weren’t awkward. Words or no, Jay smiled more around Carlos than almost anyone else on the island. Even _Mal_ was grinning, watching Carlos with a new appreciation. 

“So, de Vil,” she chuckled. “You like messing with Jay, too, huh? Maybe he was right to bring you to me after all.” 

They weren’t friends. 

No. 

But that didn’t mean they weren’t something close.

\---------

“Would you get away?” Mal asked them one afternoon as she packed a small bag of provisions. It was her turn to walk their territory boundaries - just to make sure none of their borders had been compromised. “You know, from our parents? If you could?”

Jay raised an eyebrow from his place near Carlos’ pillow tent. “I dunno. Dad’s an ass, but it could be worse. Like that Frollo kid? I hear stories.”

“Well, do you think our parents have ever been wrong?” Mal seemed like she had a deeper motive, some underlying question she’d never let her walls down long enough to ask. 

“Well, isn’t wrong kind of their game?” Jay laughed a little, despite the circumstances. “You know, since we’re villains and all? Evil, wicked, bad, wrong - those are like - our ABCs.”

“Our what?” Temporarily distracted, Mal wrinkled her nose. 

“Auradon kids,” Jay explained, remembering an old program the grainy TV in his dad’s shop always streamed from the mainland. “They have this song. To remember their alphabet. Kind of like… a rhyming thing. I don’t know. We learned our evil spells and chants instead.”

“Whatever.” Mal shook her head. 

“What’s all this about?” Jay wished she’d just be transparent with him. Maybe he would actually be able to provide some insight instead of spouting random facts about Auradon elementary songs.

“Nothing.” The purple-haired fae picked up her pack and turned towards the door. “Just forget I brought it up.” Right before she crossed the threshold, she paused. “Spot? What about you? Would you ever be able to break free from Cruella?” 

Carlos tensed, inhaling sharply, and Jay huffed out in protest. “Mal! Use the sign!” 

“My bad.” she grumbled. “I meant to. I forgot. But Pup, I’m serious. What would your freedom cost?”

Carlos looked at her for a second. Then, very slowly, he drew a line across his neck. 

The meaning was loud and clear: Carlos wouldn’t be truly free from Cruella unless either she or he paid the ultimate price. 

Mal let that sink in, her face unchanged. When her footsteps finally faded on the stairs, Jay furrowed his brows and replayed the exchange in his mind. 

“Hey, ‘Los?” he turned, an idea dawning on him. “Did you see that? Mal got what you were saying right away. We all did. Like our sign for your mother. We need more signs! That way you can communicate with us.” 

Taking out his pencil, Jay began to draw on the cleanest patch of the scuffed white walls beside the pillow fort. He wasn’t the best artist, but he could draw hands okay. He sketched the sign for “dead” and then the sign for “Carlos’ mother” - labeling the words beneath the drawings. Sitting back, Jay eyed them critically. “What do you think?”

Still mostly inside the fort, Carlos nodded, one eyebrow quirked. He seemed intrigued by the idea. After a moment, he tapped Jay’s shoulder and whispered, “song.” 

“Song?” Jay asked, confused. Out of all the words he could’ve chosen to sign next, Jay hadn’t expected that one. 

Carlos growled, probably frustrated by Jay’s lack of understanding. He held up one finger, then two, then three. 

“One, two, three…” Jay narrated aloud, his words slow. “Song… Oh!” Of course. The ABC song he’d just told Mal about. “You want an alphabet,” he realized. “‘Los, you’re a fucking genius. To spell out words we don’t have signs for yet!” 

The freckled boy nodded excitedly, moving out from the fort and closer to Jay. 

Over the next hour or two, Jay and Carlos created signs for each letter of the alphabet. As soon as they settled on a quick and easy signal, Jay sketched it carefully on the wall. In addition to the letters, they made up a few signs for words they thought they’d use most often - like food, water, safe, Mal, and Carlos. 

“This is gonna work, ‘Los,” Jay said with a smile as he labeled the last one. “Then you won’t have to force yourself to talk, alright? We just have to practice these over and over.” 

Carlos nodded, still smiling. A second later, he pointed at Jay urgently, and suddenly it dawned on Jay that they hadn’t created a sign for his name.

“Alright,” Jay grinned, leaning back. “We need a sign for me. Do you have something in mind?” He picked up the pencil, ready to draw it. 

Thinking, Carlos finally held up half a heart. Jay’s lips parted slightly, taken aback. None of their symbols had even resembled a heart so far. 

“Like,” Jay cleared his throat. “Like… an upside down ‘J’, right? That’s what that is?” 

Carlos didn’t answer, and Jay drew it on the wall anyway.

 _Just an upside down “J”,_ he kept telling himself as he sketched. _That’s all. Just a letter._

  
  


\----- 

Jay hissed as the needle pierced his flesh. Mal would probably lecture him for getting cut in another fight, but Jay had needed a distraction after spending the morning listening to Jafar bitch and moan about Agrabah and all its distant, unattainable riches. 

Besides, he wasn’t sure whose stitches were messier - his or Mal’s -and he could sew himself up pretty quickly. The gash was on his forearm - not too difficult to reach, especially since Mal had managed to secure a mirror that only fogged up on one side. 

“Stupid Agrabah,” he muttered, gritting his teeth as he pulled another stitch through. “Stupid fucking Agrabah, and its stupid fucking riches. I can’t get them for him. I would if I could. But I can’t. We’re stuck here, and there’s no use fucking pretending that we’re not.” 

He hadn’t seen Mal or Carlos all morning - not even for their usual ten o’clock market run or haul check. He wasn’t too worried about Mal, but as Jay knotted off the last of the stitches and examining them critically in the mirror, he let himself wonder about Carlos for half a second. 

_Not worry,_ he corrected himself. _I’m not stressed. Just curious._

Suddenly, he became aware of footsteps on the stairs, and he tensed. Whoever was walking seemed to be doing so heavily - uncharacteristic of either Carlos or Mal. A variety of possible explanations for the unfamiliar gait - injuries, missing limbs, illness - flashed through his mind before a figure appeared in the doorway. Two figures, actually. 

Because Carlos de Vil wasn’t alone. Draped over his shoulder, practically toppling him, was a skinny girl with bright blue hair. Her body was limp, and Jay’s first thought was that she must be dead before his rational brain took over. 

“Shit, _shit,_ dude!” Jay strode across the room, forgetting all about the dull ache in his arm. “Carlos! You can’t bring her here! Mal’s gonna -” 

The blue hair. The blue hair was triggering some sort of buried memory, unearthing it slowly: 

A six-year-old princess’ birthday party; laughter, music, treats; and Maleficent yelling - a pair of green eyes and small horns peeking out from behind her long cloak. 

“That’s the Grimhilde girl.” It wasn’t a question. Jay stared at the body of the girl he hadn’t seen in years, now draped - frail and fragile - across Carlos’ small frame. “Carlos… how did you find her? Mal banished her ages ago! She’s gonna flip, dude. She was already gonna flip and now -” He tugged at his hair, tension rising in his chest and throat. How could he toss the princess out when he could practically still hear her laughter ringing sweet and silver in his ears? 

Carlos still hadn’t moved, standing there - swaying slightly - with his arms wrapped tightly around her hairpin waste. God, Jay was no stranger to starving kids, but this girl looked bad; she clearly hadn’t had a proper meal in a long, _long time._

Looking around, Jay made a wild - and reckless - decision. “Put her on the couch.” 

Carlos moved fast, laying her down on the cushions, and Jay busied himself with hunting for a scrap of cloth. Working quickly, he gently lifted her head and tied it loosely around her eyes. At least if she came to, she wouldn’t know the location of their hideout. Next, he grabbed a cup of water and filled it up with one of their canteens, setting it down near her - careful not to spill a precious drop. Staring at her emaciated figure, Jay decided they could spare some food, too, so he set down a full can of fruit beside the water. 

Only then did he turn to Carlos, who was still hovering near the couch.

“You know this girl?” 

Carlos didn’t answer.

“Oh, so we’re back to this, huh?” Jay could feel frustration rising in his chest, but pushed it down; it wouldn’t be useful to get angry with Carlos - it never got him any answers. “You pretending not to hear me? I thought we were past that.” 

Carlos chewed his lower lip some. 

“I will help her,” Jay swore, knowing those words alone would get him a beating should his father ever catch wind of them. “But you have to answer me. It doesn’t have to be with words, but you gotta give me something. Otherwise I have no reason to risk my own safety in Mal’s gang.” 

Finally, Carlos inhaled deeply and stared hard at the floor. “Friend,” he whispered. 

_Well, fuck._

Jay pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and groaned. “Holy shit. Okay. I guess we’re helping her. Can you give me anything else? Where you found her? What’s wrong with her? How long she’s been out?” 

As if in response, the girl on the couch stirred. She shifted, whimpering slightly, before everything went stiff. Her hands slowly came up to feel the makeshift blindfold around her eyes. Jay imagined her trying to piece together what the hell had happened. 

And then - she began to scream. 

“Hey, hey, shut up! Shut up!” Jay pressed his hand over her mouth, hissing. “I’m here to help! I’m gonna help you! Hey! _Fuck.”_ He drew his hand away quickly in shock; she’d bitten him clean through the skin. He’d have to disinfect it in a moment, but before he could do that, he had to calm her down. If anyone heard her shrieking, it could jeopardize their position. “Shit! Princess, listen to me. I’m here with Carlos. Carlos de Vil? He seems to know you. He brought you to me.” 

The girl stopped writhing, her screams dying some. The sound of Carlos’ name seemed to register something, at least, so Jay stuck with that angle. 

“He’s right here. You were unconscious. And he brought you to… well, I can’t tell you where he brought you since there’s someone who definitely wouldn’t want me to help you. But I trust Carlos’ judgement and… well…” Jay wasn’t sure if he should disclose to the girl what Carlos had called her; it was a dangerous word on the island. Still, he had to imagine it would be rather disorienting to wake up blindfolded and surrounded by an unfamiliar voice. “He called you a friend.” 

The princess had definitely stopped screaming now, her body going still on the couch. “He did?” 

Her voice brought back a flood of scenes from his early memories - party favors and bright toppling sour apple cakes and crude puppet shows. This was definitely the Grimhilde girl; there was no mistaking that voice. 

“Yeah.” Jay started to reach for her hand, then paused. “I’m gonna reach for your hand, okay? So I can put a cup of water into it.” 

She nodded, and he handed her the glass. It was a rather clumsy transference as she struggled to sit up, but the water eventually made it to her dry lips nonetheless. 

“Can you remember what happened?” Jay studied her shaky movements, recognizing classic signs of dehydration. 

“I’m okay.” It wasn’t an answer; only a deflection. 

“You were unconscious.” 

The Grimhilde girl shook the hair from her shoulders in a manner that could only be described as dignified. For someone that had been draped across a shoulder only a few minutes ago, she certainly looked pretty put-together. “I’m fine, Mr. -” 

“Jay’s good. Just Jay.” 

Jay didn’t care about titles. Once upon a time, Jafar asked everyone to call him Prince Jay ( _“that’s what you were supposed to be, my boy! A prince! Someone with power! Someone respected!”)_ but the only prince Jay happened to be was a “prince of thieves,” and he liked that better anyway. 

“How old are you?” The girl tilted her head, a bit like Carlos did when he got confused. 

“Why does that matter?” 

“Because you don’t sound like an adult.” She had some nerve to say that to him. If Carlos hadn’t been so adamant about helping her, he might’ve thrown her out for that. He was tough; scary; intimidating. “And you know Carlos,” she continued. “And he doesn’t trust adults.” 

“‘Los?” Jay turned to the other boy, wondering if he was in the mood to say anything. “How do you know this girl?” 

“He won’t answer,” the Grimhilde girl cut in, holding the water glass, but not making any move to drink again. “He doesn’t say much.”

Something hot flared in Jay’s chest for a moment. “I know that.” 

_He’s mine,_ was Jay’s first thought. And then, he caught himself: _Ours, I mean. Mal’s. He’s in Mal’s gang. She claimed him._

“Well, Jay,” the girl asked, holding out the cup still mostly full of water. “I’m feeling much better now. If you’d be so kind as to remove the blindfold, I’ll show myself out.” 

Jay studied her for a moment, then paused as someone tapped his shoulder. When he looked over, Carlos was shaking his head and pointing at the food. 

“Carlos doesn't want you to go unless you eat something,” Jay said out loud, understanding. 

“No.” The girl sounded almost scared. “I’m fine.” 

“Look.” Jay sat back on his heels. “I know what dehydration looks like, and I’m guessing you haven't eaten in days, either. If you don't at least eat _something,_ I can’t let you go.” 

“So you _are_ kidnapping me?”

“He kidnapped you. I’m just gonna take the fall for it.” Jay checked the cracked clock on the wall. They had some time before Mal returned, but not much if she kept up this stubborn front. If he let this girl go now, he might have a shot at getting out of this unscathed, but Carlos was still glaring daggers at him and the uneaten food, and deliberately going against his wishes would probably incur a pretty fine wrath from the freckled boy. 

“Fuck,” Jay muttered. “Look, I can’t let you walk back to your house like this. You’ll pass out before you even get there, and then we’ll be right back where we started.” 

The girl was trying to stand anyway, wobbling as she pushed herself onto her feet. She swayed for a moment - arms outstretched - before Jay caught her and sat her gently back down. 

“It’s just the blindfold throwing me off,” she argued, weakly attempting to fight back. “Jay, I’m serious -”

“Sit down.” He held her shoulders firmly. “You’re not okay. How long have you gone without food?” 

The girl was silent for a moment. “About two and a half weeks,” she whispered, defeated. Jay rubbed his forehead. He and Mal had been through a couple of sparse patches over the last few years, but they’d never gone two full weeks without a single bite - especially not since they started their emergency rations stash. But something felt different about this girl. If someone had put food (willingly or unwillingly) within his and Mal’s grasp during those long starving days, they would’ve mauled a full sized villain to get a taste. But this girl still hadn’t touched any of the fruit he’d laid out and taken barely a sip of water; it seemed her starvation was by _choice._

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” Jay asked it bluntly; he asked everything bluntly. There was no point in trying to be sensitive on this island. 

“No.” The girl folded her arms, hugging them close to her skinny body. “My mom wouldn’t like that.” 

“The Evil Queen.” Jay hadn’t seen the woman in years, but his mind conjured up his last memory of her - all pinched and tucked - running terrified as Maleficent banished her forever. “How is she these days? Has she had any more work done?” That last bit was meant to be a joke, but the girl didn’t seem to find it funny. 

“She would if she could,” she sighed. “Not many people venture out to our part of the island. Except Carlos, of course, and he lives there.” 

Jay swung around to look at Carlos, who had gone back to staring at the floor. Jay remembered now: Cruella de Vil’s mansion - rightfully christened Hell Hall - had been placed on the far side of the island. So that’s where the Evil Queen and her daughter had fled; and now the connection between the Grimhilde girl and Carlos made a little more sense. Kind of. 

“You’re neighbors.” 

The girl nodded. “He comes by every so often to snatch some food from my mother’s pantry. Not as much recently though.” 

Jay felt a twinge of satisfaction at that. “He’s been claimed.” 

“Oh?” Even with the blindfold, Jay could tell her eyebrows were raised. “By you?”

Everything in Jay wanted to answer yes, and it would probably freak the girl out to know that her probably sole friend had been taken in by the girl who banished her when they were six, but Jay knew Mal prided herself on her claims. “By Mal. Mal claimed him.” 

The effect was immediate. The girl’s entire body froze up, tension seeping back into her shoulders and neck. “Is that what this is?” Her voice had gone up an octave. “A trap? Are we just sitting here waiting for Mal to stab me?” She tried to stand again, this time with more than a hint of desperation. “Please don’t kill me! I followed all the rules, I swear, and -” 

“Hey, hey, Princess!” Jay steadied her. “Relax. She doesn’t know about this. At least not yet. And as soon as you are strong enough, I’ll deliver you home myself, and she’ll never need to know.” 

“We’re in her hideout, aren’t we?” the girl asked in a whisper. “That’s why you blindfolded me. I’ve heard rumors about this place.” And then, for some reason, she laughed - a fear-driven, crazed giggle. “I’m picturing knives and weapons, and I can’t see a thing, and for all I know she could be right behind me with an axe -”

“No.” 

Both Jay and the Grimhilde girl turned in Carlos’ direction now, caught up in his single word. 

“No?” Evie breathed out. “She’s not here? She’s really not here?” 

“No,” he repeated decisively. 

“And for the record,” Jay turned his gaze around the room, eyeing Carlos’ pillow fort in the corner, the blankets on the floor, and all of Mal’s spray art portraits on the wall. She’d just begun to add a few tags for Carlos, incorporating his colors and signage next to hers and Jay’s. He found it interesting that the place didn’t match this girl’s dark description of the wild stories about Mal’s secret hideout at all. “There’s no weapons behind you. We wouldn’t just leave them lying around like that.” 

“Eat,” Carlos said quietly.

Jay was rather surprised he was talking so much in front of a stranger. But then again, this girl apparently wasn’t a stranger to him. He seemed comfortable around her.

Finally, at Carlos’ soft insistence, Evie consented to touch the food. She didn’t eat much - picking at it for awhile before eating a few slices of fruit - but Carlos seemed more satisfied than before. 

“So how long ago did _she_ claim him?” the girl asked in between bites. 

“Several months ago.” It felt longer than that. Carlos had melded so nicely with his and Mal’s partnership that it was hard to imagine they’d ever run smoothly without him. His presence added something significant to their dynamic; something they’d been missing. 

“I guess that explains his disappearance from our side of the island.” The girl sounded almost… sad. 

“I guess it must be hard to be banished.” The island already felt lonely - even with the hustle of the bazaar and the junk shop. Jay couldn’t imagine living in a dark dinsgy cast-away castle without anyone but his _parent_ to talk to. 

“Yeah.” The girl sighed, her hands reaching up to play with one of her blue curls. “I knew Hell Hall was nearby, though, and sometimes I would watch Carlos coming and going when my mom lo - put me in my room. When we were younger, he would come over, too. Our mothers would talk to each other about grown up things, and we’d sneak up to my room. When I noticed food going missing from our fridge, I figured it was my mom eating late night snacks or something - guilty cheat days, you know? But then little... gifts starting showing up on my window sill. Cloth. Buttons. Things I can use to sew dresses. And I knew it was him.” 

Jay listened, caught up in her story. He could see it now - the little blue-haired princess waking up to find treasures left by a mysterious boy: a lonely castaway finally finding something to look forward to. Suddenly, he felt almost… _guilty_ for stealing Carlos away. 

“He doesn’t have to stop leaving you gifts.” Jay said it without thinking. It went completely against the code. Aiding and retrieving supplies for one of their leader’s greatest enemies? If Mal caught wind of it (or that it was Jay who’d told him to keep doing so), they’d both be out of the gang and left to defend themselves on the streets. 

“Isn’t that against the rules?” Even this girl who lived her whole life away from the street gangs seemed to understand that what he was implying was so, _so_ wrong. What had gotten into him lately? 

“I guess so.” 

Just then, their luck ran out. Jay heard the unmistakable sound of Mal’s boots on the stairs before the purple-haired fae herself stood in the doorway. 

“... didn’t even bother to show up,” she was saying. “Honestly, I waited for -” And then she broke off - surveying the scene. Her eyes landed on the Grimhilde girl sitting on the couch, as well as Jay and Carlos kneeling nearby. It took only a few seconds for the confusion on her face to morph into anger. 

Jay wasn’t scared of Mal. He was bigger than she was, and besides, he knew she liked him too much to actually hurt him. But Carlos was still new in the gang - still earning her affection and trust. Jay didn’t know what she would do to him if she found out he was responsible for bringing this girl into their hideout. 

“Who brought her here?” Mal’s voice was low and dangerous, just waiting for the answer to spark a furious flame. 

The Grimhilde girl’s body was shaking in fear. Mal’s voice had changed quite a bit since they were six, but perhaps the anger in her voice gave her away. Carlos wasn’t shaking necessarily, but every muscle in his body was tense - poised for a flight or fight. 

“ _I said,”_ Mal repeated. If he closed his eyes, Jay might’ve thought it was Maleficent herself demanding it. “ _Who. Brought. Her. Here?_ ” 

Jay rose to his feet, holding up his hands. “She was really hurt, Mal. I just -”

“I don’t care, dammit!” Mal’s eyes were two glowing green embers now. “Jay, I gave everyone very simple instructions. I told you to forget about her! The whole island was supposed to forget about her! How did you find her?! What did she tell you? _What did she tell you?!_ ” 

Jay didn’t flinch at the volume of her voice. He stood calmly, ready to take the brunt of it. Mal was advancing into the room now, pointing an accusing finger at the girl who looked pale enough to pass out again. 

“ _What did you tell him, Princess?_ ” she was shouting. “ _You -”_

“Mal!” Jay pushed against her shoulder, trying to keep her from coming any closer. “Hey! Hey! She didn’t tell me anything, alright? I blindfolded her! She has no idea where she is! I just gave her a little food - that’s all.” 

“So what?” Mal’s glare got brighter. “ _You’re a charity case now, huh, Blueberry? Is that it? You just want some handouts? I banished you!_ _My mother and I make the rules on this island, and we -”_

“Mal! Sit the fuck down!” Jay kept a firm grip on her shoulders. “It wasn’t charity! You trust me! You trust my judgement! I did it for a reason! You can fucking scream at me all you want, but neither she nor Carlos had anything to do with this!” 

He still didn’t know why he was taking the fall. He’d never seen Mal this pissed. If she threw him out… 

_No teams, no alliances, no friends,_ Jafar kept purring in his head, almost as loud as Mal’s screaming. _No teams, no alliances, no friends. No teams, no alliances, no friends. No teams, no alliances, no -_

“Shut up!” Jay told his father’s voice, but it seemed Mal thought it had been directed towards her because her mouth clamped shut - stunned. Jay supposed not many people told the Great and Fearsome Mal to shut up. 

The daughter of Maleficent was breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling under Jay’s splayed palms. “Get her out of here,” she said finally - hoarse from all the yelling. “Get her out. I don’t ever want to see her ever again. Hear that, Blueberry? Ever. Again.” She spit in the girl’s direction. 

Jay turned back to the couch and saw that Carlos had disappeared. As he knelt down to help the Grimhilde girl to her feet, he whispered, “Where’s ‘Los?” 

“I can’t see anything, remember?” she whispered back, tottering unsteadily. “Did he run? He doesn’t like yelling.”

But Jay already knew that. 

He kept his arm wrapped around her as they headed towards the stairs and out into the blustery streets. The sky was grey and dirty snow piled up along the sides of the road and gutters. Once they were far enough from the hideout, Jay dared to slip the blindfold off the girl’s face. 

She blinked in the sudden light, squinting. “It’s bright out here.” 

“Nah, you’ve just been in the dark for awhile,” he assured her. “I, uh, don’t know how to get to your house, so I figured it was time to give you your eyesight back.” 

The Grimhilde girl was more than pretty, Jay was realizing now. She was beautiful - with big brown eyes and pink lips. She still looked sort of stunned - but whether that was from Mal’s outburst or her dehydration and hunger fiasco, he wasn’t completely sure.

“What?” she asked breathily, a white puff escaping her lips in the cold morning air. 

“Oh, nothing,” Jay smiled, his flirtatious nature taking over. “Just admiring the view, Princess.” 

She smacked his arm. “Stop that.” 

“But do you really want me to?” Jay offered her his elbow like he’d seen those stupid princes on the Auradon News Network do a hundred times. “Doesn’t a princess like yourself _live_ to be complimented?” 

“By princes, yes,” she retorted, started off along the path. “But you’re not a prince, are you, handsome?”

“A prince of thieves.” Jay grinned, enjoying the flirty banter. It was second nature to him - flirting. He’d long since understood that his good looks and build were a weakness for many people on the island, and Jafar _always_ said he should play to his strengths. “But I could treat you like a princess if you let me.” He purposefully lowered his voice, a note of seduction creeping in. He usually reserved the heavy flirtation for his marks, but he wasn’t really aiming for a steal this time. She was proving herself to be a worthy practice partner. 

“Mmmm,” she giggled. “I don’t think my mother would like that very much. Who knows where your fingers have been?” 

“Deep, dark places,” he told her roughly. “Wouldn’t you love to feel for yourself?” 

The girl blushed fiercely and tossed her curls. “Absolutely not, but I’m guessing you’ll dream about it for weeks.” 

“You’re not wrong.” Jay pressed his lips close to her ear. “Wouldn’t it be better if you were there beside me?”

They were rounding a sharp cliff now, the wind coming stronger. If possible, this side of the island was even uglier than the rest of the rocky, dusty place. Evie dropped the flirtatious act and pointed to a tall, dark mansion looming down the way. 

“Hell Hall,” she said softly. 

Jay sobered up immediately, straightening to get a better look. The place was ominous to say the least, with tall cast iron gates and grisly gargoyles on every spike. “That’s where he lives?” He heard how weak his voice sounded. “With her? No wonder he ran.” 

The girl stared at him carefully, seeming to notice the change in his demeanor. “He hasn’t had many people care for him. I’m glad he has you.” 

Jay nodded wordlessly, still staring at the mansion. “He has a sense of humor, you know.” He wasn’t sure why that seemed important to reveal. 

“I know.” The Grimhilde girl smiled thinly. “I told you. He used to come over when our mothers visited together. That was before Cruella started getting… worse. But they would talk in the kitchen, and he would come upstairs to my room. My mother would’ve murdered me if she’d known he was in there - she thought we were playing downstairs - but Carlos likes to fix things. He would come upstairs and change my light bulbs and…” she looked around like someone would overhear. “He even made me a sewing machine.” Her eyes shone brightly at the memory. 

Jay couldn’t help smiling a little, too. “A sewing machine? He made one?” 

“Yeah.” The girl grabbed Jay’s arm suddenly. “And he wasn’t silent with me, you know. Sometimes he would talk quietly about books and whatever really smart thing he was working on. We were like six! And he was reading books!” 

“So…” Jay blinked. “You’re telling me... he’s a genius.” 

“Kinda, yeah.” 

Pausing, Jay remembered a snippet of what she’d said before. “You said Cruella is getting worse. What’s worse?” 

The girl sighed, her curls whipping around in the wind. “Cruella is not… _all there_. But she’s gotten worse over the years. She doesn’t leave Hell Hall much anymore and… and well, sometimes, we hear her screaming or breaking things. I don’t… I don’t think Carlos fares very well when he’s home.” 

“So he ran.” 

Abuse wasn’t uncommon on the island. Jafar hit him pretty regularly - especially when Jay missed a meeting or failed to do his job properly - but Jay didn’t think his father was _crazy._ Sure, it sucked getting smacked around, but Jay had usually done something to deserve it. Cruella, it seemed, hated Carlos simply for existing. 

“Is that why he went silent?” Jay remembered how submissive Carlos had seemed at first - even calling Mal “ma’am.” 

“I don’t know.” The girl shrugged. “He never really spoke in front of his mother or mine. I guess he only really spoke to me. I’m not sure why.” 

They walked up the driveway to the only other building in the vicinity - a grey, stone castle. For some reason - even with the gloomy fog surrounding it - the place still didn’t seem as haunted as Hell Hall. 

“Home sweet home,” the girl sighed, unhooking her arm from Jay’s at last. “I should probably go the rest of the way up the driveway alone. In case my mom’s watching out the window or something.” 

Jay nodded, giving her a little salute. “As you wish.” For half a second, he threw on that flirtatious smile again. “It was a _pleasure_ walking with you, love.” 

She rolled her eyes, laughing. “You, too, Prince of Thieves.”

“Hey, uh -” Jay returned to his normal tone. “I never caught your name.” 

“Evie,” she said with a smile. “My name’s Evie.” 

As he turned to leave, he caught a flash of something on her face. Loneliness, maybe. They’d both enjoyed having someone to talk to - to flirt with - even if none of it meant anything. He faced her again, folding his arms. 

“Look,” Jay started. “I know Mal doesn’t like you, but you’re okay. I’ll see if I can drop by again soon, but -” he held up a hand. “Only if you agree to eat something for me. I don’t know what goes on in your house, but who am I supposed to practice flirting on if you’re unconscious?” Or dead, but that went without saying. 

Evie smiled shyly, tucking a curl behind her ear now that the castle had sheltered them a bit from the wind. “I’ll try. For the record, none of that flirting meant anything. You know that, right?” 

And Jay laughed. “Trust me, Princess.” He winked. “You’re not my type at all. That’s why I said _practice._ You’re pretty good at it. Not as good as me, of course, but close.” 

Still smiling, Evie grinned. “It seems we have something in common, then.” 

“Seems we do.” Jay gave her a little way. “See you tomorrow?” 

Tomorrow. The word reflected hopefully in her eyes. “Sure Mal won’t murder you when you get back?” 

“Ah, if I were anyone else, probably.” Jay waved a dismissive hand. “But I’m not too concerned.” Then he paused. “Uh - listen, if you see Carlos tonight, just tell him Mal’s gonna cool off.” 

“Will do. Oh, and Jay?” She held up her hand. “Make sure you disinfect your hand. You know… where I bit you?” She looked almost embarrassed about it. 

Jay laughed. He’d almost forgotten about the bite - the pain dulled by the rest of the morning’s events. “Yeah, Princess. Don’t worry. I won’t let a little bite like that take me down.” 

And then he was gone, starting off along the gusty path back towards town.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thank you so much for reading! come bother me on tumblr: @unapologeticallyjaylos


	3. can never disguise (blood stained hands)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone !!  
> some quick warnings before we begin: in case you can't tell from the chapter title, this chapter will feature some blood. if descriptions of mutilated bodies aren't your thing, i would be wary. 
> 
> other than that, the same usual warnings apply: cursing, abusive!parents, panic attacks, etc
> 
> enjoy!

Carlos still hadn’t come back. 

Jay stepped in the hideout on the tenth day of the de Vil boy’s absence and looked around. Against his better judgment, he hoped to finally see a flash of red or maybe a hint of pale white curls, but the place was still and the pillow fort stubbornly empty. 

“Still no sign of him?” Mal asked when she arrived a little while later, her arms full of quick steals.

“Not yet.” Jay knew his tone was clipped. He wasn’t _angry_ with Mal for yelling, necessarily - she’d had her understandable reasons - but there had been a certain coldness between them since Carlos disappeared. 

“You’re still upset.” Mal raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m not.” 

She huffed, dumping the odds and ends of her morning market run onto the couch. “Well, I’m not an idiot. I know you think it’s my fault he’s gone.” 

Jay set his mouth into a line. He wouldn’t let Mal bait him into revealing weakness. It shouldn’t matter to him that Carlos jumped ship; he probably wasn’t even gonna stick around that long anyway. 

“Jay!” Mal snapped in front of his face for a moment. 

“What the hell?” Jay swatted her hand away. “It’s fine! He probably just went back to living on the streets or maybe even in that fucking mansion on the far side of the island with all the freaky gargoyles, right? That’s fine! He’s good!” 

For a moment, Mal’s eyes flared and then - she softened. “Look, he’s a smart kid -” 

“Smarter than you know,” Jay muttered. He’d been keeping his flimsy promise to Evie and visiting her every other day or so. In return, she’d told him more stories about Carlos - how he used to calculate the position of the pale moon in the sky or the way they’d throw stones out her window and graph their trajectory. But Mal couldn’t know about those visits to the blue-haired princess, so when she raised her eyebrow, he just shook his head. 

“Jay,” she folded her arms. “I raised my voice because I was _angry._ You should’ve known! I can’t be seen helping her. _I banished her.”_

Jay scoffed. “Your mother banished her.” 

“I made her do it!” 

“You were six.”

Mal sighed, exhaling deeply. “Still. I have to align my views with my mother. Do you know what she’d do to me if she found out that I -” She broke off, sucking in quickly. “Well, that _she_ set foot in here?” 

“Iron?” Jay guessed. Sometimes, when Mal’s mother got particularly angry, Mal would return to their hideout with raw burns her back from iron prods. 

“She says it reminds me that I have weaknesses.” Mal stared off into the distance for a long moment. “That it costs me to have chinks in my armor.” She shook herself some, standing straighter. “Carlos is fine.” 

“Then why hasn’t he come back?” Jay hated how anguished he sounded and made a note never to let that sentence form on his lips again. To try and distract Mal from making a comment about how _needy_ he was, he shook his head. “And besides, you can’t still be angry at Evie. It’s been years. And you don’t even like parties anyway.” 

“Maybe I would’ve liked that one.” After a moment, she scuffed her boot against the floor with a shrug. “And I told you. I don’t have a choice. I _have_ to be angry at her. What do you know about it anyway?”

Jay glanced back over at the pillow fort, the blankets lying limp and unused on the ground. He couldn’t just wait around and wonder where Carlos had gone; maybe he’d gotten kidnapped; maybe someone with a death wish had taken him hostage; maybe he needed help. 

“I’ll be back.” Jay headed for the door, grabbing a piece of bread from their haul as he went. And before Mal could answer or ask where he was going, he was already halfway down the stairs. 

\----

The walk to Hell Hall was just as windy and cold as always. He’d been making the climb up that path all week, but this time, instead of turning towards Evie’s castle, he steeled himself and headed towards the dark, foreboding mansion in the shadows. 

For a moment, he wondered whether Evie was looking out one of her windows. He attempted the same classic little salute towards her bedroom tower just in case before starting off again; maybe he’d stop by her place after Hell Hall. 

Jay wasn’t sure what he was hoping to find inside the mansion. On the one hand, not finding Carlos wouldn’t bode too well for the boy. Then again, from what Evie had told him about Cruella - things weren’t going to be too pretty for Carlos if he was home, either. 

As Jay came up to the large iron gates, he paused, taking a moment to stare all the way up at the spikes on top. Crows perched along the cold, rusted bars, watching him with their beady yellow eyes. 

“Mind your own business, bastards,” Jay muttered, taking a deep breath. Experimentally, he reached out and pulled on one of the thick rods. It screeched horribly, scraping along the gravel with enough noise and movement to send the crows flapping and squawking away into the gloom. 

_Good riddance._

He hadn’t enjoyed those fixed, unblinking stares. 

The gates opened enough for him to slip inside, and he turned sideways to better squeeze his body through. The mansion grounds were just as dead and decayed as the rest of the island - if not more so. Scraggly trees stuck out of the rocky ground, leaning away from the wind. Every rock, stone, and half-crumbled flower bed reeked of death. 

And now that he was close, Jay realized how poorly thought out this whole thing was. He had no idea where Carlos would be; he had no idea if Carlos was even _there_ at all. Cruella wasn’t someone he wanted to trifle with, and his usual set of tools to distract someone just didn’t seem appealing when it came to the crazy bitch. 

But as he carefully climbed the wide steps that led to the front door, Jay stopped. The heavy door was barely ajar, the latch unlocked - as if someone had just arrived home. Jay didn’t know _anyone_ on the island who would leave a door open and unlocked on purpose. 

As a thief, he knew when a steal was _too easy._ And this? The door to Cruella de Vil’s mansion left carelessly askew? Something was definitely wrong. 

_Carlos._

Carefully, _carefully_ Jay uprooted one of the stick-thin trees - barely two-fingers wide in length - and pushed at the door. It moved slowly - groaning every so slightly. Nothing happened; no traps or alarms or burning metal flamed to life.

So perhaps the door had been left open by accident. Or maybe the person entering Hell Hall had been snatched away before they could relatch it. The idea sent chills down his spine. 

Inside the foyer, Jay opened his mouth in awe. A large staircase rose up along both sides, coming together at a landing on the second floor - complete with an iron railing. Jay noticed the mirrors along the side of one of the stairs had been smashed and scuff marks rose long and black along the base of the walls - evidence of a fight.

Jay was about to take a step forward when something else caught his attention. Directly to his left - so close he could reach out and touch it - was a tall knight statue with an upwards pointing sword. The blade was raised in some gharrish show of heroic nature, and the whole thing was nestled in an alcove beneath the right side of the second-floor landing. Apparently, the architect had been planning on the future owner wishing to display a life-sized rusted English statue because it fit perfectly. Aside from its Auradon origins, something about the knight made Jay take a second look. At first glance, he thought it was just the shadows playing tricks on him, but as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that the knight’s sword - dulled with time, but only a little less menacing - was stained red. 

In fact, a sticky red spray coated the nearby walls, too. And the floor… and the stairs. Jay’s heart began to beat a little faster. He squinted at the bloodied knight and the side of the landing directly above. If someone had fallen from that height at the right angle… the upturned sword would be perfectly poised to impale the unfortunate soul who tumbled. 

“Carlos,” Jay muttered, stepping over the blood. 

Blood had been smeared all along the hall too, as if something - or someone - had been dragged. Jay followed the trail, each step soundless. If Cruella had killed Carlos… if she’d dragged his body down these halls in some sort of strange fit… if Carlos de Vil had fallen from that railing… well, it would explain his sudden disappearance from every market stall and alley on the island. 

_No._

Jay forced his mind in another direction. He wouldn’t accept that Carlos de Vil was dead until he found the body. 

The blood trail led to the kitchen, snaking across the yellowed tiles and then onto the next room over. But as he prepared to follow it through the doorway, the hairs on Jay’s neck rose. He wasn’t alone. Immediately, he lifted his head, searching. 

It didn’t take more than a glance. 

Because standing in the center of the kitchen - frozen - was a very bloody Carlos de Vil. He was breathing - it was clear from the way his chest rose and fell raggedly - and he was upright. His shirt - once white, now crimson - stuck to his body, and the _blood… was everywhere:_ his hands, his chest, even smeared in his hair. But he was alive and that was a start. 

“Carlos.” Jay took a step closer. “Carlos, it’s me. What happened? Whose blood is that? Are you hurt?” 

Carlos was staring at his hands, as if in shock. Finally, he blinked slowly and looked up. Jay saw the recognition finally dawn in his eyes. He shook his head, trying to take a gulp of air and nearly failing as he started to cry. 

“Hey.” Jay crossed the kitchen, looking Carlos up and down to find the source of the blood. “Hey. I found you. It’s okay. Is this your blood? Did you fall?” He searched for the possible wound.

But Carlos shook his head and pointed a shaky hand towards the next room - where the blood trail from earlier had continued. A sudden strong sense of premonition gripped Jay as he peeked around the corner; he just _knew_ who he was about to find.

Cruella de Vil’s lifeless body was draped over the sofa, arms and neck lying at odd angles. The back of her dress and skin had been ripped open as one - plunged straight through the gut by something long and skinny - and now the flayed flesh and fabric stood straight up in a disgusting melding of person, blood, and fashion. 

_The sword._

“Did you…” Jay swallowed hard, turning back to Carlos. “Did you... kill her?” 

Tears continued to run down Carlos’ face, cutting clean little ribbons down his scarlet-spattered cheeks. He opened his mouth as if to try and tell Jay something, but no sounds came out. 

“Shh, hey.” It wouldn’t do them any good if Carlos choked on his own tears. “Just breathe a second, okay. Uh - let’s get you cleaned up.” 

Hunting around the kitchen, Jay found a towel that looked mostly clean and ran it under the tap. Then, very carefully, he knelt beside Carlos. At the boy’s nod, he began to gently wipe down his face and neck. It took several trips back and forth from the sink, watching the red swirl down the drain as he squeezed the towel out over and over again. Jay even went so far as to run it through Carlos’ hair, using his hands to cup some water and let it run through de Vil’s curls to return them to their usual color. 

“You wanna take your shirt off?” Jay eyed the thing. He decided he’d give it to Evie when he saw her next; she seemed to be pretty good with rejuvenating fabrics. Maybe she could find a way to get the stains out. Still, walking through town with a bloodied shirt would draw unnecessary attention to them, and it couldn’t be very comfortable anyway. 

But Carlos seemed reluctant to take it off, his hands shaking as he attempted to pry it off his body. And once it was up and over his head, Jay could see why. Carlos’ torso was littered with every kind of scar imaginable: raised lines, jagged white divets, pink streaks, and small, circular burns that Jay recognized as cigarette scars. 

“She burned you?” he said in a low voice, his finger rising to hover over one - then another. 

Carlos nodded just a little, his face flushed now. 

“Is that why you… pushed her?” 

But now that he wasn’t crying quite so hard, Carlos shook his head. In a very hoarse voice, he managed to choke out, “Accident.” 

Jay raised an eyebrow, the jagged hole in Cruella’s back still burning behind his eyelids. “You didn’t do it on purpose?” 

As if forcing the air down his throat, Carlos gasped. He clenched his fists slightly, sucking in air. “Acc-accident. An… accident.” 

It was almost a full sentence - something highly unusual for Carlos, especially when he was probably in a fair amount of shock. Those few words alone seemed to take a huge toll on the boy, his shoulders sagging. 

Still, Jay couldn’t help feeling a little relieved. Not that Cruella didn’t deserve to be murdered, but there was a darkness that came with taking a life. Jay had done it a couple of times - in the heat of a turf war or violent assault. But those had all been nameless deaths; in his nightmares, only faces were ever able to haunt him - not names. Cruella wasn’t worth the loss of sleep. Carlos deserved better than to be stuck carrying around that weight for the rest of his life. “So she fell, then? Over the railing?” 

Carlos still seemed to be trying to explain, but that one sentence must’ve taken everything out of him because he couldn’t seem to form even one word. Sighing, Jay shook his head. “Don’t try to talk if you can’t right now. Just sign to me. Use your hands. Like we’ve been practicing.” 

Their system of signs had grown over the last few months. Jay wasn’t always perfect at translating it, but at night, he practiced the ones they’d created over and over - trying to get them right. And sometimes, when he’d glance over at pillow fort casually, he would see Carlos doing the same. 

Carlos made the sign for Cruella. And then their signal for fight. His hands moved quickly and deliberately, looking to Jay for any evidence of recognition. 

_Came home,_ Jay translated carefully. For any word that they hadn’t created a sign, Carlos would it out with the letter signs they’d written on the wall of the hideout. Those took longer to translate, but Jay squinted and did his best. _Grabbed me,_ Carlos continued with slow movements. _She went -_

What did that one mean again? Crown? 

Jay rubbed his forehead. “Carlos, do that one again.” Carlos made the gesture again, and this time, Jay remembered. Oh, that one meant crazy; they’d created it after one of the old women in the stalls had started shouting about sinners’ ends and blood red skies. “You can keep going now. I remember.” 

Carlos spelled out another few words. _Pushed her too hard. Accident. She fell. Dead._

Jay nodded. “So you… removed her from… you know… the sword?” He tried to imagine a still-shaken Carlos sliding his mother’s mutilated body off the metal blade and dragging her to the living room. Jay closed his eyes; he should’ve gotten to Hell Hall earlier. He should’ve been there to help. 

But Carlos nodded again, much calmer now that they’d remembered their signs. Now that he knew Jay could understand him, he didn’t seem to be quite so helpless.

 _I hated her._ Carlos face was dark as he continued to spell with his hands. _Accident, though. I’m not…_

Jay squinted, trying to understand what Carlos was trying to spell. And then he realized with a jolt that the signs were spelling _murderer_ . “No, ‘Los,” he said quietly. “You’re not a murderer. She met the end she deserved. You were just trying to save your own skin.” He tried to laugh a little, hoping to shrug off the heavy assurance of retained shreds of innocence. “Shit, this isn’t even the most fucked up thing I’ve seen all week, man. You’re good. Well, not _good,_ but - you know.” 

Carlos sniffed again, nodding; he didn’t look anxious anymore - almost relieved - and his earlier panic had faded a bit. He ducked his head some, raising his hands to sign again. Jay expected a longer explanation or maybe even a thanks, but that wasn’t what Carlos had in mind. 

_I missed you,_ Carlos signed. And then his eyes widened as he hastily added, _and Mal._

Jay cleared his throat, looking down hard and studying each speck of blood left on the floor. “Yeah, uh, me too, Pup. You… gonna come home now?” 

Carlos nodded without any hesitation and began to sign again. _Trapped._ _Big house. Locked doors. Only barge visits. No friends._

Jay could piece together that picture pretty easily. “I get it. She wouldn’t let you see us. But… why did you come home at all? I thought you’d run away for good.”

The freckled boy shifted, looking a bit ashamed. _Mal yelled,_ he signed. _I got -_ he paused - _scared. Wanted protection._

“And you thought Cruella would give it to you.” The anger Jay had felt at all the stories Evie had told him about Carlos’ mother was _nothing_ compared to what he felt at that moment. “You deserve a mother who protects you,” he swore. “Not that bitch.” 

Surprisingly, Carlos smiled a little. He was still shirtless, and Jay shrugged off his own vest and handed it over. People were more used to seeing him shirtless on the streets than Carlos; he could handle the attention it attracted. 

Carlos’ ears turned a little pink, but he slipped the vest on anyway. He motioned for Jay to follow him, then started off towards the back door. 

“I thought we were going home.” Jay followed anyway. He was quickly beginning to realize he’d probably follow Carlos anywhere. 

_Yes,_ the boy signed. _Getting something first._

Jay followed him, exiting through a door that was probably intended for servants back when the house had been built. Carlos trekked across a dead patch of grass, his steps sure and steady. His earlier shock had either been compartmentalized or forgotten - Jay suspected the former - and he led him towards the very edge of the property without a shred of trepidation.

“Hey, uh, Carlos?” Jay called up to him, stepping around thorny shrubs whose leaves had long disappeared. “Where exactly are we going?”

Finally, Carlos stopped - pointing up into the branches of a large tree. Squinting, Jay saw a structure nestled up in the highest branches. 

“A treehouse?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “Who built that?”

Smiling a little, Carlos shrugged. _Me,_ he signed, gesturing to himself. His hands grazed the tree’s bark, feeling for something. When he found what he was looking for, Carlos pulled and a rope ladder dropped down from above. 

“We’re going up?” Jay asked as Carlos began to climb. Grabbing the base of the ladder, Jay hoisted himself on, too - testing the flimsy rungs. It didn’t feel too unsteady - despite its rope foundation - so Jay climbed up behind him and threw one leg up over the ledge of the treehouse window. 

The place wasn’t large by any means, but it was definitely more spacious than it had seemed from the ground. Clearly, it was a well-used room. All the ledges and even a few makeshift tables were covered in vials and messes of wires. A stack of binders were neatly labeled in handwriting Jay recognized as Carlos’. 

“Blueprints… Chemical Sheets… Suppliers… Evie’s Things…” Jay smiled as he read them. “‘Los, is this like? Your own personal hideout?” 

Carlos nodded, his cheeks flushed again. _Safe,_ he signed. _We’re safe here._

“This is cool.” Jay poked at a metal machine. “Did you make this?” 

Carlos nodded. 

“What does it do?” Jay inspected it carefully and even went to pick it up, but Carlos’ hand closed around his wrist before he could. Jay met his eyes and saw a flash of fear; it was the same expression on the faces of market peddlers when they saw Jay. “You’re worried I’m going to steal it.” It wasn’t a question. 

The freckled boy looked almost ashamed, shrugging. _These parts are valuable._

“Don’t worry.” Jay held up his hands. “I won’t take anything. We’re a team, remember? You, Mal, and I? I wouldn’t seriously steal anything from either of you.” The word teamed cackled in his ears, sounded too much like Iago for his comfort. Irritated, he swatted at the air by his head, as if that alone could shut the voice up.

Carlos seemed satisfied with that promise, though, and he went about grabbing a bag from the corner and packing a few binders and machines into it. Jay occupied himself with looking around the rest of the room. There was a whole rack of test tubes - some containing powder or liquid or even a strange glowing substance - and a small pile of blankets in the corner. 

“You ever sleep out here?” Jay could imagine Carlos - tired, but determined to finish making whatever he’d set out to create - crashing in the corner. 

And yes, Carlos was nodding. _I like it out here,_ he signed as he packed. 

“And um - did she know this place existed?” 

Cruella probably didn’t have the wherewithal to climb up the rope ladder, but maybe if she’d been angry enough… 

_No,_ Carlos shook his head decisively, and Jay was relieved. At least he’d had a safe place, a treehouse full of chemical compounds and metal inventions and scientific charts, in case things got too bad inside. 

Jay was also satisfied with the signs they’d worked so hard to create. Carlos seemed very comfortable with them, and he’d clearly been practicing. It was nice to have a vessel of communication with him that didn’t cause Carlos so much stress. 

As he watched the other boy pack - leaning against the treehouse wall - the scene of Carlos prying his dead mother from hallway knight’s sword once again invaded his consciousness. 

“Hey, Carlos?” he spoke up, playing with a bronze bracelet on his wrist. “Are you just going to leave her in there? On the couch?” 

Carlos paused in his packing with a shrug. He didn’t sign anything for a few moments, thinking. Finally, he managed to make a few hasty gestures. _Harry and Jace will take care of it._

And although he wasn't personally familiar with either of those names, Jay knew who they were. The sons of Cruella’s infamously stupid minions, Harry and Jace were almost as bumbling as their fathers. He wasn't quite sure how they'd handle disposing of a dead body. 

“Maybe they'll just dump her in the ocean,” Jay shrugged. “You know, let Tick Tock take care of her.” 

_Maybe,_ Carlos signed. 

Once Carlos had fit everything he could into his bag, he straightened up. For a long moment, he stared around the treehouse. 

“You can come back, you know,” Jay promised him. For some reason, he hated the thought of Carlos saying goodbye to his only safe place. “I’ll walk with you. Now that she's gone, you can come back all the time.” 

Carlos nodded, and the two boys climbed back down the ladder to begin the long trek home. 

\----

  
  


Mal apparently hadn’t left the hideout. When Jay returned, she was standing by the wall, spray paint can in hand. He couldn't help being a little surprised by her presence. Surely, she had better things to do than sit and wait around for him, especially when she'd definitely been going to meet someone lately. 

Her face remained expressionless until Carlos walked in behind him. Green eyes widened, and not even her seasoned reflexes could hide the relief there. 

“Spot, it’s been ages.” 

“He knows, Mal.” Jay walked over to one of the rickety cabinets and grabbed one of his spare vests. His shirtless state had gotten him several hookups for the evening; maybe it was worth the risk of a knife in the back going unprotected boosted business.

“Why are you shirtless?” Mal demanded. “Where did you find him?” She squinted, seeming to finally notice the blood still speckled on him - despite Jay’s best cleaning efforts. “Whose blood is that? Anyone we gotta worry about?”

“Not anymore.” Jay handed Carlos some food; Cruella probably hadn't given him much over the last couple weeks.

Mal narrows her eyes. “Where was he?” 

Jay glanced at Carlos, who nodded. “Hell Hall.” 

Her tongue flicked across her bottom lip and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “I thought he ran away from his mother.” 

“Yeah, well,” Jay couldn’t quite stop the words from flying out of his mouth. “Then someone came along and scared him back to needing her protection, so.” He half expected Mal to actually lose it with him this time, but she just sighed. 

“Jay, I _had to.”_

“Look him in the face and tell him that.” 

Carlos was keeping close to Jay, but Jay knew it was probably more to put distance (and another body) between him and Mal than anything else. At the moment, he was staring at Mal - not terrified, but wary. 

“Hey, Spots?” Mal folded her arms. “That girl? I banished her.” 

_I know,_ Carlos spelled out. 

Mal tilted her head. “What the hell was that? 

Jay pointed to their pencil drawings on the wall near the pillow fort. “We made an alphabet, remember? Before he disappeared. That way we can understand each other? I told you about this.” 

“Maybe I wasn’t paying attention.” Walking closer to the wall, Mal’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, that’s like… an entire language.” 

“Yeah, that's kinda the point.” 

Now that the adrenaline had drained from his body, Carlos looked exhausted. Jay knew Mal had questions, but he thought it would be better to let Carlos sleep than be interrogated. He’d handle the incoming queries for now. Once he was satisfied that Carlos was thoroughly comfortable nestled among the pillows and blankets, he turned back to Mal. 

“So?” She folded her arms, looking back and forth between him and Carlos. 

“So, what?” 

Mal wasn't impressed with his cheek. “You gonna tell me what's going on between you two? I get that I was harsh. But there's something else between you guys. Something new.” 

A warmth came over Jay, and he shook his head. “Nothing new. Just helped him deal with something this morning.” 

“Whose blood was all over him?” Mal asked for the second time, lowering her voice so he wouldn't hear; Jay appreciated the gesture. It was sort of like an apology coming from her - a promise to do better. 

“His mother’s.” Jay shivered, remembering the way Cruella’s flesh had been flayed so roughly by that rusty sword. She looked no less gruesome in death than she had in life. 

“Is she dead?” Mal looked… interested. Cruella was still considered a top tier villain - insane or not - and it was always news when one of them met an unfortunate end. 

“Yes.” Jay glanced at Carlos again. “It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean to. She attacked him, and he accidentally shoved her over a railing.” 

“Carlos killed his mother?” Mal’s mouth dropped open. 

“Yes - no -” Jay recalled how desperately Carlos hadn't wanted to be a murderer, how his hands had shaken as he spelled out the word. “He didn't mean to.” 

“You said that.” Mal rubbed her forehead. “No one’s gonna punish him for killing her - accident or not. In fact, it might help his reputation to spread that it _wasn't_ accidental.” 

“He wouldn’t want that.” For some reason, Jay was sure of that. “He likes being underestimated. Mal, whatever you do, don't spread that.” 

“Okay.” She held up her hands defensively. “I won't. But she's really dead?”

“As a doornail,” Jay answered. “Trust me, I saw her.” 

“Well… at least he's free of her, right?” Mal said, referring to their conversation a few weeks earlier. “He said the only way he’d be free of her is if she died. And now he's free.” 

_If only the rest of us could say the same,_ Jay thought with a sigh. _What I wouldn't give to be free of them. I wish we could get off this island. I wish we could escape our parents._

And although he didn't know it then, a few years later, the perfect chance for both would present itself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you waiting for malvie, it's on its way and about to hit you like a freight train :) thanks for reading!


	4. i see a new sun (up in a new sky)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone !! i'm so so so so sorry this took so long to post! life, am i right :) 
> 
> anyway, same trigger warnings apply. there's some new mal/evie interactions. auradon happens. enjoy!
> 
> oh, and there's a timeskip so :)

The proclamation came on a Tuesday.

Jay, Mal, and Carlos were standing near the docks when they saw the barrier begin to glow. Glancing at each other, they hesitated only a moment before sprinting towards the marketplace. 

By the time they arrived, a sizable crowd had gathered near the bridge. Jay weaved and bobbed around people, craning his neck to get a better glimpse of the commotion. He’d grown lately - definitely a bit more man than boy - but even his new height did little to help his visibility among thick throngs of pressing villains. Instead, he relied upon his muscles, elbowing others out of the way to make room for his gang. 

“Carlos, Mal,” he motioned, urging them through a part in the crowd. “Come on, come closer.” 

The crowd’s volume increased as a hole began to form, just wide enough for a long black car to slide through. For the first time in twenty years, a barrier had been opened. 

“Holy shit,” Mal muttered under her breath. At sixteen, she still barely reached his shoulder. “That's from Auradon City. See the crest on the door?” 

A royal car on _their_ island. It made Jay’s blood boil. 

“What do they want?” he hissed, his grip tightening on his knife. “Are they gonna tell us the barges are shutting down for good?”

“Maybe they're here to finally kill us all.” Mal sounded equally furious, glaring at the car as if looks alone could incinerate it. “They've decided we've had it too easy all these years.” 

_Maybe they know I poked that hole in the barrier last week,_ Carlos signed, and a chill went through Jay. 

It was true; Carlos and his little black box had broken the barrier for a moment. Maybe that had warranted a visit from the heroes; maybe they'd come to figure out who had burst through their magical prison. Or worse… they already knew and had come to take Carlos away. 

“Don’t worry, ‘Los,” Jay said in a low voice. “If they’re here for you, we won't let them get anywhere close enough to touch a hair on your head.” 

The car finally came to a stop, and the crowd pressed in, surging forward until they met some invisible force. 

_Magic,_ Carlos signed, pointing to the shimmering aura around the car. _They’ve put magic around the car. To protect it from us._

“He says there's magic. Around the car,” Jay translated. Mal understood most of their signs, but she didn't practice them as regularly as Jay did; they were practically second nature to the boys now. 

“There's no magic allowed here.” Mal gazed at the protection spell in awe and maybe envy, too. “Why is it working?” 

Jay glanced at Carlos for an answer and wasn't disappointed. 

_Good magic,_ he spelled out quickly. _Their magic must be allowed under the enchantment. Like a sort of failsafe. Just in case._

“He says it's like a failsafe,” Jay told Mal, not liking the sound of it. “Their magic works. Ours doesn't.” 

“Fuck them.” 

The doors of the car were opening now and a dozen security guards armed to the teeth stepped out and surrounded the vehicle. A low murmur went through the crowd as they eyed their weapons and official royal guard uniforms. Then, out of the back, an older man emerged. Jay figured he was some sort of royal scribe or messenger - if they still had those on the mainland - because he held a very official looking scroll and microphone. 

“Attention -” he cleared his throat, his hands and voice shaking somewhat. “Attention Island Residents.” 

“They had to draw straws to see who would come,” Mal whispered to the two of them with a grin. “He picked the shortest one.” 

Jay snorted. The man didn't look at all thrilled to be standing among the outcasts of society. In fact, he looked downright terrified - and rightfully so. 

“Four of your children have been selected to participate in a h-healing and rehabilitation project ordered by the - the future King Benjamin of Auradon. The four selected students will be coming with us tonight to begin their new lives in Auradon. They will be attending the finest preparatory school in our kingdom. This generous opportunity will provide them with a glimpse into the life of those who choose good over evil.” 

“They act like it's an honor or something,” Mal muttered. “To go and play princess for a day.” Still, her eyes glowed a little, and Jay knew why; they were giving four kids the chance to _get off the island -_ something they'd dreamed about for years. 

“The four children have been chosen already by the future king,” the messenger continued, his voice booming out across the walls and rooftops of the entire island. “Those whose names I am about to call will gather their things and meet us here at the bridge before sundown tonight. Two boys and two girls - that's who he chose. Alright, let's see - ladies first, I supposed. For his first choice, His Royal Highness has selected the offspring of Maleficent.” 

Jay’s whole body vibrated with energy. 

Mal. 

Mal was going to the mainland.

_Mal was getting off the island._

Mal… Mal was leaving them. 

Her face was pale, but alert. She looked over, determination setting in. “I’ll find a way to bring you two along,” she hissed. “You’re coming with me.” 

“And,” the messenger continued, eliciting another gasp from the crowd. “The future has also selected the daughter of the Evil Queen to accompany her.” 

“Evie,” Jay whispered in relief. She would finally be free from Mal’s exile. Well, assuming Mal didn't kill her on the way over there. 

_She deserves it,_ Carlos signed with a smile. He and Jay still visited Evie occasionally - enough to know she’d be better off free from her mother. 

Mal didn’t seem to be sharing in their joy. In fact, her face flickered from unreadable expression to something far more dangerous. 

“Oh, I’m gonna kill her,” Mal growled. “She won't make it over to the mainland. Miss Fairest Bitch Queen will be dead and gone before one of her stupid little high-heeled boots steps foot on magical ground. I will not put up with her -” 

“And if you do,” Jay cut in. “They’ll turn around and throw your sorry ass back here with us, so maybe cool it with the murder plans, okay?” 

“Yes, the, uh, children of Maleficent and the Evil Queen are the first two the Crown Prince named,” the man was saying, seemingly nervous by just how attentive the crowd was now. They all seemed to be holding their breaths, and Jay wondered whether they'd snap once their names weren't called. Probably. “He’s also selected two boys to join them, which I will - uh - announce presently.” 

His own heart was beating rather loudly, Jay realized. Mal and Evie were going to leave - two of the only people he really talked to on this island. Carlos must’ve been thinking along similar lines because a moment later, he grabbed onto Jay’s hand. A sudden rush of energy flowed through him as their fingers linked subtly, hidden by bodies and eyes with better things to focus on. 

“The son of Cruella de Vil.” 

Jay’s mouth went dry. The rest of the island seemed to go quiet as he stood there, seconds stretching into the longest beats of silence he’d ever heard. 

Carlos. Carlos was going. He should be relieved - he _was_ relieved. Carlos was going to get good food and shelter and doctors and education. And the books! Carlos would get to read as many books as he could instead of scavenging the barge loads for ones that weren’t ripped or incomplete or waterlogged. 

Mal. Evie. Carlos. 

_I’m going to be alone,_ Jay realized, a ringing beginning to grow louder in his ears. _I’m going to be alone with no one but my dad. The hideout will be empty. They're leaving. I’m alone. I’ll have to -_

“Oh, thank Lucifer,” Mal grabbed his arm, breathing out. “You’re coming, too.” 

“What?” Jay inhaled sharply and realized he hadn't taken a breath in ages. “What did you just say?”

“They just called you,” Mal said, staring at him. “Son of Jafar. Didn't you hear them?” 

“Uh - yeah.” Relief flooded through Jay, slowing bringing the feeling back into his limbs. He concentrated on taking several deep breaths to push the panic back down. He was going, too. He wasn't going to be alone. 

The first thing he felt when the numbness subsided was Carlos’ hand gripping his own. 

_You okay?_ Carlos signed, looking up at him with concern. 

“Yeah,” Jay breathed out. “I’m good. We’re getting off this island, ‘Los. We’re getting off.” 

“Come on.” Mal grabbed their arms, yanking them towards the edge of the market. “We gotta go. The entire island population is going to want to kill us now - our parents included.” 

They took off towards their hideout, listening to the rumbling growing louder and louder behind them. Mal was right about one thing: people were angry. 

“Evie,” Jay gasped as they ran. “Mal, we gotta get her. She might not even know she’s been chosen. They’ll go after her, too!” 

“Please,” the girl scoffed. “That microphone blasted across this entire island. She knows.” 

“She’ll still be in danger,” Jay protested. “Look, we’re all going to the mainland together. We might as well start learning to be friendly - or at least… civil - right?” 

They’d reached the hideout now, banging up the stairs. 

“Wrong.” Mal started to pack her bag. “I don't need anything from her, and I certainly don't have to look out for her or anything. If she makes it to the bridge at sundown, so be it. If not, well, I won't lose any sleep over it.” She grimaced, though, as if the very thought pained her. 

Jay busied himself with packing, too. He didn't have much - just a few extra clothes. He had no valuables, either - except, of course, his ruby earrings which he was already wearing anyway. 

“Pup, you bringing all your inventions?” Jay looked over at him. 

_Too many,_ Carlos signed.

“Well, just a few then. Who knows when we’ll be back.” 

Carlos sat back, frowning. _What if it’s a trap?_ he spelled. 

It was a fair question, one that had been lurking in the back of both Jay and Mal’s minds since the announcement had been made. Jay could see how perfect such a plan would be - one worthy of a true villain - to lure children to the mainland under false pretenses only to… what? Hold them hostage? Kill them? Use them as bargaining pieces to teach the villains a greater lesson? 

“Well,” Jay snorted darkly. “If they think hurting us will make our parents bat an eyelash, then they’ll be sadly disappointed. They could dump me off a cliff, and I don’t think Jafar would put down his coins long enough to fish my body out of the ocean.” 

“It’s not a trap,” Mal said decisively. “These are _heroes._ They hold themselves to righteous standards of good and honor and all that other bullshit we don’t mess around with. They might not like us, and they might have slightly… egotistical motives. But they’re not evil.” 

“They threw us all on this island,” Jay argued. “They haven’t given us one bit of unspoiled food or a single clean blanket in twenty years. And we didn’t _ask_ to be born; we didn’t commit our parents crimes - and yet, we’ve been shown no indication that they even know we exist! What makes you think they’re any less villainous than we are?”

An uneasy silence fell over the hideout, and Jay knew Mal thought he was right. And he was right. Heroes or not, good or evil, those in charge in Auradon - King Adam, Queen Belle, and probably their son - had done terrible things, too. They’d done terrible things _to them:_ Carlos and the years he’d had to endure of Cruella’s insanity; Mal and her darkness-bound dragon of a mother; him with his gold-obsessed father; and even Evie with the Evil Queen who only cared about whether her daughter was skinny enough to fit into her newest recycled gown. 

“I gotta go check on some things. Make some final preparations.” Mal swung her pack over her shoulder. “Keep each other safe. Don’t leave until I get back.” 

Jay watched her go, wishing she’d take a bit of her own advice for once. She could handle herself, but she shouldn’t have to. None of them should have to know what they knew or do the things they’d done to survive. The messenger had said the invitation was a generous offer, but Jay knew the truth - it was long, long, _long_ overdue. 

\---

Sundown fell quickly. 

There was something restless about the streets, even more so than usual. Mal, Carlos, and Jay walked with their knives brandished, bags pulled close to their chests - just in case anyone wanted to try one last attempt at taking their place. 

They were just rounding the curve of the marketplace, practically in sight of the bridge, when a cold voice stopped Jay in his tracks. 

“Boy.” 

Jay gritted his teeth, and Mal and Carlos instinctively whipped around. 

“You can’t change my mind,” Jay said without turning. “So don’t even try. You don’t have that right.” 

“Look at me, boy.” 

Slowly, Jay spun on his heel, his boots crunching on the dirt beneath them. “Dad,” he said with an overly gracious hand gesture, sarcasm lacing his words like poison. 

“Don’t be stupid,” Jafar told him, his black eyes reflecting the yellow light of the sky. “Don’t throw away this chance to liberate us all. Maleficent has already spoken with Mal about her goal. I trust she shared that with you, since the three of you seem _attached at the hip.”_ He said the words distastefully, like they’d turned bitter on his tongue. 

“Wait.” Jay looked at Mal, who was actively avoiding his eye contact. “Did you go see your mother? When you left earlier?” 

She just shrugged. “Not my intention of course, but she has her means of contacting me.” 

“Quiet.” Jafar’s beady eyes trained on Jay once more. “You will go to Auradon, Little Snake. And you will comply with my wishes. Think long and hard about throwing away this opportunity; the chance to rid the world of good may still be at hand. These people - the same ones inviting you to curl up their laps - condemned us to this life of scraps. They don’t deserve a chance to explain themselves. We can destroy that street rat and his alluring flower of a -” 

“Dad!” Jay glanced up at the sky. The sun was sinking lower - almost gone. They needed to hurry. “I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving.” 

In one last desperate plea for his son’s submission, Jafar reached out to grab Jay’s wrist, but he jerked free - twisting his arm around hard before breaking into a run. Jay knew the heroes deserved nothing; knew what they’d done to him and his gang since the moment they were born screaming into a world of filth and starvation and pain. He didn’t need Jafar to remind him of the scars; that, at least, he was something he was certain of. 

They made it to the bridge just as the sun sank below the horizon. The car was waiting for them, still protected by the shiny bubble of magic. Someone else was waiting, too - her blue hair perfectly plaited and skirt neatly pressed. 

“Princess,” Mal sneered as they approached. “Don’t you know a villain’s never early?” 

“Mal.” Evie looked her up and down once, her shoulders stiff and straight. “Have you ever thought that maybe you’re just unfashionably late?” 

A thick tension settled between the two of them. It was dangerous, for sure, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it because pretty soon the car door opened. 

The messenger from earlier stepped out, keeping his distance from their little group. He was still gripping the scroll tightly in his hands. 

Carlos - who stood at just the right angle to see part of whatever had been printed on that oh-so-important scroll - tugged on Jay’s arm. 

_Our pictures,_ he spelled out. _Not very good ones. Grainy. Maybe they have old cameras hidden around the island._

“You think he’s matching us to some old photo taken by a hidden camera?” Jay whispered, eyeing the scroll. 

Carlos nodded. _To prevent imposters,_ he spelled. 

Imposters. There would surely be many of those if they hadn’t called Mal’s name; her reputation - and maybe his own, too - served as a protection for the four of them… even Evie. People were watching in the shadows, though, just out of sight. Their eyes reflected nightfall and greed. Perhaps they even had weapons cocked and ready, just in case they got a clear shot. The thought made Jay shiver, and he wished the man would hurry up with whatever security measure he was doing with that scroll so they could find proper cover. 

“Alright,” the messenger said finally, no longer using the microphone. “You four may step through the shield now. It’s enchanted, you know, so that only the four children on my list may enter.” It was less of an interesting fact and more like a threat. 

_We better be who we say we are,_ Carlos signed, and Jay laughed a little. 

Mal steeled herself, holding up her hand to Jay and Carlos. “I’ll go first. Just in case. You two… if something happens to me… run.” 

Jay nodded, his jaw set. 

Mal took a breath and stepped through the shimmering air. 

Nothing happened. No electric shocks. No sparks. Just Mal motioning for them to come forward. 

Evie was the last person to step into the magic bubble around the car, uninvited by Mal and rocking uneasily on her feet. Once she made it through, Jay reached out and tapped her shoulder, winking a bit. It made her smile, and he considered it a win. 

“Yes, yes, well,” the messenger was clearly flustered to be suddenly so close to them without any magical protection. “That’s right, I suppose. All you have been chosen for a very special program, as I mentioned before. Quite exciting.” His words didn’t match his demeanor in the slightest. 

“Can we get into the car now, Your Royalness?” Mal said without an ounce of sincerity. Her sickly sweet smile made Jay roll his eyes. Flattery was a foolproof tool for manipulation; any villain worth his shit knew that. 

“Uh - I’m not -” The messenger didn’t seem to know how to respond to Mal, so he just moved to the side to allow them access to the door. “Please, step inside. We’ll reach Auradon Prep by morning, so feel free to stretch out and sleep on the journey.” 

Mal got in first, as was her right as the leader. Jay let Evie and Carlos go ahead of him. It was always good to have someone with a reputation bringing up the rear - just in case someone got it in their heads to try and sneak up behind them. 

“Holy shit,” were the first words out of Jay’s mouth when he finally climbed into the car. Cushy leather seats stretched beneath long windows, broken up only by shelves of glittering candies and drinks. His own breakfast of a few slices of canned fruit and a hunk of bread looked meager in comparison to the rows of pink and red and green sweets lining the walls. 

_Think the food is safe?_ Carlos signed as Jay slid into a seat beside him. There was plenty of room for each of them to have their own bench entirely, but even Mal and Evie sat close together - with Mal beside Carlos and Evie beside himself. It just felt safer that way. 

“I dunno.” Jay scanned the shelves, chewing on his lip. It felt too safe. Who had enough food to just leave some of it lying about for guests? “Maybe. Maybe not. Don’t touch it, though. Just to be sure.” He’d never seen such brightly colored food - maybe it was poisoned or something. 

The car began to move, pulling out and onto the bridge. Carlos didn’t glance back, but Jay caught Mal staring behind her as the darkening Isle slowly began to grow smaller. They were leaving - at least for now - the only home they’d ever known for a land that had committed themselves to ridding the world of evil - of them. 

Jay tried not to think about what they might be walking into if this ended up being some sort of twisted joke. It was hard to see anything beyond the windows of the car now as the dark sky provided no light to see what they were passing. Beside him, Carlos was messing around with one of the smaller machines he’d brought, connecting and reconnecting wires. 

“You guys should try and sleep,” Jay said quietly after a while, his voice barely audible over the hum of the car’s wheels. “I’ll keep watch.” 

Mal looked at him. “I suppose we’re in for an _exciting_ day tomorrow.” She looked less than thrilled. 

“What?” He grinned a little, still keeping his voice down. “You’re not excited to meet the future king?”

“Fuck off,” she yawned, stretching out across the seat - her head positioned by Carlos’ thigh. “Wake me up in an hour, or I’ll hurt you.” 

Carlos didn’t put the machine down, but he did consent to lean against Jay. Jay ran his fingers through Carlos’ curls - something Carlos had just started letting him do - in an effort to soothe some of the anxiety sure to be coursing through him. 

Once he was satisfied that his gang was at least more comfortable than before, Jay turned his attention to Evie. She was looking at herself in a compact mirror, but from her body language, he could tell she’d been trying not to get in the way of their little exchange. 

“Eves,” Jay whispered, pointing to the expanse of seat on her right. “Go ahead and stretch out. It’s okay.” 

“My hair will get messed up.” 

He shook his head. “Princess, we’ve got a long drive. If they’ve got candy in here, they probably have a mirror, too. Get some rest.” 

Finally, she kicked her legs out across the leather cushions with a dramatic sigh. “I suppose dark bags under my eyes will be just as bad.”

Soon enough, there was the sound of steady breathing. Evie and Mal were definitely asleep. Carlos had closed his eyes, but Jay wasn’t totally convinced; still, at least he was trying. 

_Auradon, here we come,_ Jay thought, putting his hands behind his head. 

\---- 

Much like their food, Auradon was very, very bright. 

It was all Jay could think about as they walked around the campus. Compared to the dark, quiet car ride, the greens and golds and blues assaulting his vision were, well, from a different world altogether. 

Their tour of the grounds of Auradon Preparatory Academy lasted for what felt like an eternity. Jay nodded and listened to story after story about various heroic deeds that had landed certain names on halls and wings and various other buildings. Jay vaguely listened to speeches describing a Jiminy Cricket Hall, the library named for Queen Belle herself, and even a science wing dedicated to the Hamada brothers. Really, he didn’t see the big deal about having a name on a building, but apparently it was treated as an honor. 

The tour was conducted by none other than the famous Fairy Godmother herself, assisted by the Crown Prince of Auradon and his girlfriend. The brunette girl seemed to be a better mark for him than the future king as far as valuables were concerned, which was surprising. She’d been stupid enough to wear wrists full of shiny bangles and dainty rings with little stones engraved around the edges. Around the time they’d passed the gymnasium, Jay had managed to snag one of the bracelets from her slender wrist and a couple of rings from those long, perfect fingers that had been Evie enviously admiring for the last hour. 

“Dragon Hall looks pretty shitty compared to this,” Mal muttered as they trudged along, eyeing all the huge white buildings, girls with their pleated skirts, and boys with their pastel polos. 

“Uniforms,” Jay pointed out with a scowl. “I hate uniforms.” 

“You’ve worn leather every single day of your life,” she said, poking his arm. “And that goddamn beanie.” 

“Miss Moors, dear,” Fairy Godmother swooped in, her bright eyes blinking. “We would prefer if you, uh, censored your language now that you’re a student here. At Auradon Prep we value politeness and courtesy, and good language is the first step. We always say -” She extended her hand dramatically - “Check your attitude at the door.” 

“Oh, I’m about to check _something_ at the door,” Mal muttered, but to the Headmistress, she just smiled placidly. It was weird, Jay decided, to see her buttering up adults instead of telling them to go fuck themselves. He preferred the other Mal. 

People were staring unabashedly. Between their heavy combat boots, loud hair, and leather clothes, Jay knew the four of them stood out. He wasn’t uncomfortable being the center of attention - it was apart of his _thing,_ his brand - but Carlos was making himself small so Jay wished they’d all just look away. 

“It’ll be alright, ‘Los,” he told him quietly. “They’ll probably show us to our dorms soon, don’t you think?”

Carlos just shrugged. 

“Alright,” the Prince clasped his hands together, motioning for them all to gather beside a huge marble column outside the administrative building. “So, I know you’ve had a pretty eventful morning, and I promise we’ll let you all have a break in a little bit. But first, we have some primary care stuff to attend to down at the infirmary. Just for your files and everything. I’ve waived as many files as I can, but there’s some forms the school is a real stickler about.” 

“Just, uh,” Fairy Godmother cut in breathily. “For your safety and for the safety of those around you.” She smiled again, simpering and oh so sweet. 

“Infirmary?” Jay wrinkled his nose. He didn’t like the sound of that. 

_Hospital,_ Carlos spelled out subtly. 

“Ah, got it.” 

Shit. Jay had never been to a hospital or a doctor - unless the witch doctors on the island counted, and he doubted they did. What would they do to him? 

The infirmary sat at the edge of campus - yet another big white building - and Jay felt tiny staring up at it. None of the houses or storefronts on the island had towered like the ones here did, and the smooth marble probably made them impossible to climb. 

“Right through here,” the Prince was saying, holding open the heavy doors for them. 

“This is a part of your school?” Mal stared around the foyer, and Jay couldn’t tell whether she was awed or disgusted. Maybe both. Did this blonde-haired blue-eyed boy know that they’d gone to school in a crumbling old building with cobwebs and mold? Did he know their classrooms were old dungeon cells? That most of the bigger kids didn’t bother to bring a lunch because they just stole food from the weaker kids?

“We’ve got appointments all set up for the four of you,” Fairy Godmother said. “Auradon Prep has some of the finest doctors in the kingdom. I trust you know what a doctor is, yes?” 

No one answered her. 

“Benny, I hate this place,” the Prince’s girlfriend complained after a few moments of awkward tension. “You know it gives me the creeps. So many needles.” 

“Aud, you can wait outside,” he promised. “It shouldn’t take long.” 

How deferential he was. If this exchange program truly had been his idea, then perhaps Jay could stop waiting for the other shoe to fall. Maybe he really was just… good. 

_Bullshit,_ his brain argued. _No one is that nice._

He watched Audrey leaving and got the sudden urge to follow her. Maybe she’d be down for a little seducing; the bracelets and rings were nice, and no doubt she had other hidden gems if only he could get access to them. Not to mention, it would be fun; he hadn’t had any good action in a few days. 

“Jay,” Mal hissed. “Not the time to get horny for Miss Priss. They’re gonna split us up.” 

That woke Jay up. “Huh? Why?” 

“She said _appointments_. Plural.” Mal pointed down the hallway. “They want to examine us individually. That would be the perfect time to strike. I’ve seen some of the stuff they have in these places on the Auradon News Network back home. Plenty of weapon-like things - sharp and silver.” 

“Then, we don’t let them split us up.” Jay tapped the Prince on the shoulder. “Uh - your Highness -”

“Ben,” the Prince cut in. “Just call me Ben.” 

It seemed to Jay a strange request for someone who was soon to gain power over an entire kingdom. But the boy looked about Jay’s age, so perhaps a layer of informality was allowed. 

“Fine. Ben.” Jay gestured to Mal and Carlos, and after a moment, Evie, too - because really, he definitely didn’t want them taking her away, either. “Don’t split us up. We came here together. We refuse to be put into separate rooms.” 

Ben frowned. “Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable -” 

“No.” Jay wouldn’t budge on this. He wouldn’t let his group be split up. “We wouldn’t.”

“Very well.” Ben leaned over and whispered something to Fairy Godmother and a man in white who had just entered the foyer. Finally, they turned back to the foursome. 

“You four,” the man said. “Can come with me. It shouldn’t take too long, but none of my staff is accustomed to… group examinations... so bear with us.” 

Jay took the lead this time, letting Mal guard their backs as they followed the man down a long tiled hallway. Other doctors - dressed in similar white coats - came and went through doors lining the hall. Everyone seemed busy - holding various medical instruments that Jay didn’t recognize. 

“What’s with the needles?” Jay asked Carlos under his breath as they passed a doctor carrying a tray of long syringes. Audrey had mentioned them, but he hadn’t expected something so tiny to look so… malicious. 

_Vaccinations,_ Carlos spelled out slowly - just like he always did when the word was unfamiliar to Jay. _It’s medicine._

“I don’t like the way they look.” Jay - who regularly stitched up wounds and dealt with shattered bones nearly every other week - shivered at the sight of the long, silver needles glistening under the sterile lights. 

The doctor unlocked the door at the very end of the hall, ushering the four of them inside. Jay took a moment to assess the mental state of his group. Evie looked pale, hugging her arms tightly around her ribs as she stared at the various tools hanging on the walls and resting on trays. Mal’s face was stony - unfeeling; Jay knew if she was feeling any fear at all, she wouldn’t show it. Carlos’ face mirrored Evie’s anxious one, and his hands fidgeted nervously. All in all, Jay thought none of them were looking too hot; he was glad he fought to keep them together. 

“Since you all insisted on being kept together…” The doctor said it like it was an issue, but Jay didn’t give two shits. It had been necessary. “This might be a little time consuming.” He pointed to a cream colored scale in the corner. “Our first order of business is some standard medical notes, so if you can step on the scale one by one, please.” 

They did as they were told, widening their stance and pushing their shoulders back. Jay couldn’t help noticing how low the numbers were on Evie’s scale; he and Carlos still urged her to eat, often sitting with her to help when they could get away, but even he could tell she was grossly underweight. The doctor didn’t seem too happy with any of their numbers, though, jotting them down with a crease in his forehead. 

He measured their height next - another simple task - and Jay remembered the wall in the back of his father’s shop where Jay had kept track of his own measurements trying to predict when he’d finally be a man. He never had reached a sensible conclusion about when that was supposed to be, though. 

Next came several more minutes of fingerprint scanning and general information bulleting (eye color, hair color, and other physical descriptors). Jay was just starting to think that maybe they could get through his examination unscathed when the doctor opened the door again. 

“This way, please.” 

This time, he led them around the corner to a different set of rooms. Three chairs had been set up directly outside one of the doors. 

“Three of you may wait out here,” the man said stiffly. “This part of the examination must be done alone. I’m sorry.” 

“What?” Mal’s eyes flared. In Auradon, they glowed even brighter and fiercer than on the island; Jay figured it must be the magic now free to flow through her veins. “You lied to us! You told us you wouldn’t split us up! You fucking -” Her knife was out now, but before she could make a move, there came the sound of running feet behind her. 

“Mal!” It was Ben. “Mal! What’s going on? What happened? Woah, where’d you get that knife?” 

She brandished it. “He’s splitting us up. He lied to us.” 

Ben looked at the doctor, who had backed up against the door when Mal produced her weapon. 

“They’re armed,” the man croaked, sweat beading on his forehead. “They’re armed, Your Majesty. They were gonna kill me.” 

“You were gonna kill us,” Mal hissed, shaking Ben off when he tried to grab her. “You said you weren’t gonna split us up. You lied. You wanna know what I do to liars?” 

“Mal, Mal,” Ben stood between her and the doctor. “We’ll figure this out.” 

“It’s hospital prodecal!” the doctor told her angrily. “I am simply not allowed to break it for a bunch of miscreants threatening me with rusty pocketblades!” 

Ben put his hand calmingly on the doctor, leading him a few feet away to converse. After a moment, the man turned on his heel and disappeared. 

“I’m sorry about that.” Ben ran a hand through his hair and seemed surprised to discover the crown there. “I’m still new to all of this, you know? He’s not the right person to handle your - uh - unique situation.” 

Jay wondered why Ben was apologizing. It apparently hadn’t been his fault; why take the fall for someone else’s actions? (Although, as he thought it, he tried not to remember a certain someone taking the brunt of Mal’s anger about a blue haired princess entering their hideout). 

Mal slid the knife back into her pocket, still holding the handle just in case. “We just can’t be split up,” she said. “That’s our one request.” 

And Ben nodded. “I understand. But Mal? No more knives. You all have to turn your weapons in to Fairy Godmother.” 

A jolt went through Jay. “No -” 

“That’s _my_ one request.” Ben looked grave. “I trust you guys. I do. But as long as you carry weapons, the other people here might not. Please.” 

People so rarely said please to them. Jay glanced at Mal, Evie, and Carlos. He didn’t want to give up his knife; it was his safety, his security. Jay hadn’t gone a day unarmed for almost as long as he could remember. 

_People can’t hurt you if you hurt them first, boy,_ Jafar always said. 

But Ben looked so earnest, and he’d at least tried to follow through on their deal before. 

“You,” Jay said at last, “Are the only one who can keep the knives. Not the Headmistress. Not these doctors. Not your girlfriend. Just you. And we get them back when this is over. We won’t use them. They’re just… a precaution.” 

When Ben nodded his agreement, Jay finally agreed to hand over his precious knife. Carlos took out his pocket knife, and Evie removed a small dagger from the waistband of her skirt. Mal was the last to part with her weapon, staring at it in Ben’s hand when hers finally unclasped from its wooden hilt. 

“I’ll take good care of these,” Ben promised, slipping them into his bag. “And I’ll take good care of you guys.” 

Just then, a different doctor joined them. She was wearing the same white coat, and Carlos tensed beside Jay. 

“You four are going to step through here,” she said pointing to the door. “But when I’m talking with you individually, I want the rest of you to wear these, okay?” She held up four pairs of headphones. “You can be in the same room, but I need to talk with you each separately without you being worried to speak in front of your peers.” 

Jay supposed it was the best deal they were going to get from these doctors who seemed so obsessed with rules, so they followed her inside and accepted the headphones she handed to them. 

“Part of this examination is assessing how each of you are doing mentally,” the new doctor explained as they filed in. “That’s why we usually talk to our patients privately. A lot of times, children your age don’t feel comfortable sharing certain personal aspects of their lives in front of each other.” 

_Yeah, but we’re not children,_ Jay wanted to tell her. _And we’re not from here, either. I trust these three with my life, which is more than I can say for you. I’d tell them anything. You? Not likely._

The woman patted a table covered in white paper. “One of you can come sit up here. The other three can sit over here with the headphones until it’s your turn. Don’t worry - they’re sound cancelling. You won’t hear a word once you put them on.” 

Mal volunteered to go first. Jay sat with the headphones on, watching her every movement. Living with Carlos for so many years had taught him how to read lips pretty well. Still, the headphones were strong; he’d lost one of his senses entirely. It definitely wasn’t his favorite feeling. 

After the doctor and Mal’s conversation, which wasn’t long since Mal didn’t appear to be talking very much, the woman performed several other physical tests - including placing some contraption on her chest that reminded him of one of Carlos’ inventions. She also administered three of those syringe-medicine things Jay had seen earlier. Mal didn’t flinch when the needles went in, though, so Jay kept the headphones on and his hands in his lap.

Evie went next, sitting delicately on the papered table. She answered with what looked like mostly yes’s and no’s, which didn’t surprise Jay in the slightest. This woman was kidding herself if she thought Evie would open up to her - that any of them would, really. She winced when the needles pierced her skin, but it was barely perceptible and Jay had a sneaking suspicion she was more worried about it leaving a bruise than the actual pain. 

When it was his turn, Jay sat on the table with his arms folded, studying the woman’s face. She looked young, but it was hard to tell with heroes; sometimes magic cloaked a user’s true age - that is, if she even had magic at all. 

“So,” the woman held a clipboard in front of her casually, like she wasn’t about to write down every single word that came out of his mouth. “Your name is Jay, right? Son of Jafar?” 

“Yes.”

“And how old are you?” 

“Sixteen.” 

She jotted it down quickly before looking back up. “Sixteen, huh? You look quite mature for your age. You went through puberty early, I take it?” 

“Guess so.” Jay refused to give this woman any information that could come back and bite him in the ass. This felt like a test; there were going to be right answers and wrong answers. And unfortunately, Jay suspected too many wrong answers would send him right back to where he came from. 

“Are you sexually active?” 

Jay snorted, but waited a moment before deciding on his answer. “What did Mal say?” 

The doctor gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m not allowed to tell you. Just answer truthfully. Don’t worry about what your friends said.” 

_I’m not worried,_ Jay thought, grinding his teeth against each other. _I just want to know what the right answer is._

He’d never been good at tests, no matter the subject. School was just something he didn’t excel at - not like Carlos. He got into the upper level classes mostly because of his father’s top tier villain status, but his grades were never anything to get excited about. And now, if his ability to stay in Auradon depended on answering this doctor’s questions right, he didn’t have much confidence in the outcome. 

“Jay?” the doctor pressed, sitting forward. “I know it can be embarrassing to talk about these things, but -”

“I’m not embarrassed!” She thought he was embarrassed? Over sex? The idea almost made him laugh. If only she knew who he was and what he spent most days doing. “Yeah, I’ve had sex.” 

“Have you done it safely?”

“Oh, yeah, there were _tons_ of condoms on the island,” Jay scoffed. “The barges were just overflowing with them, yeah? Just all over the streets.” 

The doctor’s eyebrows knitted together, and Jay realized he’d probably just given a wrong answer. The truth was, there were a few market stalls that sold contraceptives - either lucky leftovers from Auradon or the homemade kind. Jay depended on sex for his work, and stocking Jafar’s shop shelves required all his tools in working condition - even bodily ones. He had enough contacts on the island to _mostly_ get what he needed, but sometimes… well, sometimes it just wasn’t possible. 

“I used contraceptives when I could,” he admitted in what he hoped was a regretful tone. “We made our own.” 

The doctor scribbled on her clipboard for a long moment, and Jay wondered again what the hell Mal had said for this question. She’d probably just denied it; she’d always smarter than him. 

“So you’ve never had unsafe sex?” 

“I never said that.” It wasn’t like he always had some at hand; sometimes things just happened. Was he really supposed to give up a good steal for his own safety? 

The doctor wrote for a few more seconds. “Do you have a history of alcohol or drug use?” 

This time, Jay decided he would take a page out of Mal’s book and shake his head. “No.” 

It was like a game - trying to decide which answer she wanted to hear. She asked him about everything from his mental health (it was great, he’d told her. No, he’d never gotten angry or sad. Never.) to the food he ate (plenty of food, he’d assured the woman. Three meals a day.) 

“Alright,” she said at last, putting down her clipboard. “I’m just gonna have you do a few other things for me, alright?” 

She had him touch his toes and jump up and down. She did the same weird eyes, nose, and mouth probing that she’d done to Mal and Evie. He didn’t expect the instruments to be cold, though, and he sucked in his breath when she placed the little metal circle under his shirt. 

“Cold?” she smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m just listening to your heartbeat.” 

Jay wanted to ask why. He didn’t know what they were doing with these tests - presumably studying them - but it felt so… invasive. While he didn’t mind her looking at his body, he definitely didn’t enjoy the way she was recording secret, hidden happenings _inside_ of him. That was his business - not hers. 

The medicine syringes still gave him the creeps. No matter how many times the doctor insisted it would only pinch for a moment, the idea of those long silver points burying themselves deep inside his skin didn’t evoke any excitement on his part. He wasn’t a pussy, though, so he watched each needle sink deep into his biceps and slide back out. 

He’d expected the sting, but he hadn’t expected the weight. His entire right arm went numb - heavy and aching. Somewhere in his self conscious, his mind was screaming about all this being a trap; what kind of medicine made you feel _worse?_ Why would something made to make him better inhibit his ability to fight, to climb? 

_Finally_ she let him down off the table and said he could return to the chair - reminding him for the hundredth time about those goddamn headphones. He sat back down, a weird prickling sensation on his skin. Jay had sex quite frequently - parading his body around the island like a shiny fishing lure - but for some reason, this examination had felt more invasive than any of the lusting stares he recieved. 

Next to him, Mal eyed him carefully - checking him over for any signs of injury. Jay gave her a little nod of assurance; he was okay - shaken, but okay. 

It was Carlos’ turn. Jay had been so worried about being split up that he hadn’t stopped to think about how Carlos would react to all this; the touching and the questions and the one on one conversation. 

_Shit, shit, shit._

At least he hadn’t gone first; he had an idea about what she would do to him when he got up to the table. 

Deciding he couldn’t risk sitting in silence, Jay slid one side of the headphones back just the tiniest bit. 

“You’re Cruella de Vil’s son, right?” the doctor asked as he warily sat on the paper covered table. 

It was a bad start. Carlos no longer shut down when his mother was mentioned, but it certainly wasn’t a great topic to jump off with. The tension in his shoulders got visibly worse, and all Jay wanted to do was get him out of there. Mal seemed to be thinking along similar lines; she’d sat forward in her chair protectively, ready to spring into action if needed. 

“Ben tells me your name is Carlos,” the doctor continued, probably thinking Carlos was just shy. “I’ve always liked that name.” 

Carlos, of course, just sat and stared at her. Jay was unwittingly thrown back in time, remembering vividly the way Carlos had once stared at him the exact same way - with that blank mask of a face hiding any fear he might be feeling underneath. 

_He’s not gonna talk to you,_ Jay thought, almost posessively. _He won’t talk to you so save your breath._

“I’m just gonna start with asking you a few questions.” The woman brought out a new clipboard, preparing it. “Does that sound good?” 

Again, nothing. 

“Mr. de Vil, are you alright?” The woman’s eyes narrowed now; apparently she was starting to discover that he wasn’t going to open his mouth any time soon. He didn’t trust her. “Please don’t be nervous. This is a very routine questionnaire. Why don’t I ask you the first question so you can see, alright?”

Carlos’ chest was rising and falling more rapidly, his hands clenching in his lap. Jay noticed the way they moved ever so slightly, like they wanted to create the signs they’d grown so used to making, but were unable to do so. If they didn’t get him out of there, if she didn’t stop pressing him, Carlos might be headed towards one of his spirals. 

The last time he’d completely shut down had been after a few drunk old men had decided to greet him with barks as he passed, yelling about him being “a good submissive pet for them.” Jay hadn’t known whether the men had recognized him as Cruella’s son or had just unluckily fallen on that crude topic as a means to convey their filthy desires, but he’d been too busy trying to help Carlos to care. Because when Carlos shut down, he stopped communicating at all. No one could touch him, not even Jay, and sometimes, it would take hours for him to come back down. 

“Carlos, how old are you?” 

Carlos’ breathing was getting faster. From Jay’s vantage point, he could see every sharp inhale. 

“How is your mother?” The doctor hadn’t asked Jay that question; or maybe she had and Jay had just blocked it out once he’d started giving her the easy answers. For some reason, she’d moved it up on her list of “routine questions.” Even now, she studied him carefully, as if this answer was especially pertinent. 

_Dead,_ Jay wanted to yell. _Cruella is dead and has been for years. You would know this if any of you even bothered to check up on us! You wanna know how she died? Huh? She died because her son had to defend himself. Because it was either Carlos or her going over that railing and thank fucking god it was her._

But he didn’t. He _couldn’t._ If he wanted to stay in Auradon, he had to sit. And smile. And pretend to keep wearing these fucking headphones that were beginning to hurt his ears . 

“Mr. de Vil, sit still for a moment while I -” She picked up the black tool she’d used to shine light into Jay’s eyes. 

It was like watching a wreck in slow motion. The woman’s hand came up to touch Carlos’ shoulder, the light shining into his eyes. The moment she made contact with him, all hell broke loose. Carlos stood up lightning fast, knocking over a tray of tools. It fell to the floor with a discordant crash, metal pliers and rods and scissors scattering across the tiles. Mal stood up, throwing off the headphones and sending them flying into the wall behind her. 

“Don’t touch him!” she ordered loudly. 

Jay, too, had risen to his feet - a reflexive reaction. He needed to get everyone _away_ from Carlos - or even better - Carlos away from them, but he knew it was too late; he couldn’t touch Carlos. 

“Back away!” Jay watched Carlos stumble and curl up in the corner, his hands coming up to cover his ears. “Stop! Leave him alone!” 

The doctor was still trying to get to Carlos, doing her best to pick up the cart of tools at the same time. 

“Children, please sit down!” she ordered. “I will deal with this! Sit down!” 

“You caused this!” 

The door burst open and three more doctors came in, gathering around the woman. The words didn’t make sense, but he managed to catch a few phrases. 

“... genetically prone…” 

“... hysteric episodes…” 

“... monitor him separately….” 

Jay was still blocked from reaching Carlos’ corner by the group of congregating doctors and tables and carts. He tried to shove his way past, but one of the doctors held him back. 

“Son, he might be dangerous, please stay back.” 

“He won’t hurt me!” _Only you._ “Fucking let me through! Carlos! Carlos, just breathe like Evie taught you! Fuck!” 

The wall of doctors were pressing against Jay now, pushing him backwards. Jay angrily shoved back, but there were too many of them. In a moment, he, Evie, and Mal were outside the room altogether being told to “stay there” by yet another man in a white coat. 

“Let us in!” Mal pounded on the door with her fist. “You’ll hurt him! You can’t help him! Let us in!” 

“Fucking hell.” Jay grabbed at his hair. They weren’t listening to them; they couldn’t help Carlos. Carlos, who was probably still curled up in the corner with his hands over his ears. Carlos, who was shutting down inside. Carlos, who needed quiet and calm - not adult strangers studying and talking to him. “We have to get him out of there,” he all but shouted. “We have to get him out of there!” 

“Jay.” Evie’s cool hand gently touched his bicep - the sore one, but he no longer cared about that. “He can hear you. Your stress is going to make it worse; he’s reading you and Mal to decide how to react. Just… take a breath. We won’t let them hurt him. We’ll get him back.” 

Jay stared at her. He knew Carlos watched Ma for behavior cues - he’d seen it - but he’d never really thought about Carlos doing the same thing with him. For some reason, he liked the idea of that. 

“What happened?” Ben came running around the corner once more, holding onto his crown with one hand. For a king, he really did seem late to every crisis. “Why are you three out here? What’s going on?”

“It’s Carlos,” Evie spoke, and Jay was grateful that she at least wasn’t shouting. He didn’t think he or Mal was capable of anything else at the moment. “He doesn’t like when people touch him or invade his space - especially strangers. He freaked out -” 

Ben’s eyes widened, and he knocked on the door. “It’s Prince Ben! Open this door!” After a beat, he added. “I command you!” 

One of the doctors clicked the door open, poking his head out. “Your Highness, I’m very sorry, we’re containing the issue -” 

“Come out here. All of you.”

“But -” 

“This isn’t a request.” 

Reluctantly, the group of doctors filed out into the hallway - including the woman that had been examining them. They clustered around Ben now, trying to explain themselves. 

“He had an episode,” the woman said, as if she understood what Carlos was going through at all. “He’s completely non-verbal, Your Highness, doesn’t say a word. He sits and stares - without any recognition at all - and then goes hysterical.” 

“He doesn’t speak?” Ben looked confused. 

“Not even a noise.” The woman looked around at the other doctors, then stepped away with Ben and lowered her voice as if it would stop Evie, Jay, and Mal from hearing. “He’s going to require more observation than the other three, I fear. If he refuses to comply with simple question and answer sessions, how is he going to be a productive member of your rehabilitation program?” Ben looked like he wanted to protest, but she cut him off. “That was the deal, wasn’t it? We see if these villain offspring are able to assimilate to Auradon society? To become functioning members of a real kingdom without causing any danger to themselves or others? And that boy in there is a danger to everyone if he’s got what she had.” 

“He’s a genius!” Jay said it without thinking; he just couldn’t stand to sit around and listen to them discuss Carlos like he was stupid. “He’s fucking smart, trust me! He can solve the craziest equations and build just about anything from scraps! He’s so - no, you have to listen to me, he’s so smart. He’s just not good at talking! That’s it! But he’s talked before! He knows certain words!” 

“Your Grace,” one of the other doctors broke in with a condescing smile thrown in Jay’s direction. “I believe it’s best to continue this conversation _elsewhere.”_

“You have to listen to us!” Mal cut in fiercely, folding her arms. “You took our knives! You know we aren’t going to stab you! And Jay knows Carlos better than anyone, so listen to him! You wanted a question and answer session, well here you go! You’re getting one!” 

The doctors were quiet for a moment, glancing at each other before the woman from their examination sighed. 

“You say he’s smart?” She shook her head. “That’s another indicator of an issue he’s genetically predisposed to. His mother was also incredibly intelligent when she was young.” 

“He’s not his mother.” If Jay could’ve hurt them, he would’ve. He definitely regretted handing over his weapons now. 

“His mother, uh, was not completely mentally stable, as you might be aware,” the woman looked at Ben, as if for confirmation that she was allowed to be saying this. “Her conditions manifested themselves in many different ways. Perhaps his brain is already showing the signs of her mental… abnormalities. If he’s unable to speak, that’s an indicator that he’s concerningly behind in his cognitive development.”

“There’s nothing wrong with his brain!”

“Jay, Jay,” Evie was back, rubbing his shoulder gently. “They’re gonna kick us out of here. Or at least go back to talking without us. You’ve got to lower your voice. Stay calm for Carlos’ sake.” 

“Fine.” Jay swallowed hard, trying to suppress the red hot anger flaring up in his veins. “His brain… is good. He’s not crazy. Not like Cruella. He learns super quickly. He just freezes up - especially with strangers or adults. He speaks when he’s comfortable! Sometimes, on good days, he can speak sentences with me - especially if he’s particularly happy or safe! Mostly, we just use our signs, though. That’s what he likes!” 

“He can speak words, you said?” One of the doctors looked surprised. 

“That’s -” Jay huffed, glancing back towards the door. Carlos could hear him. That’s what Evie had said. If Carlos was ever going to calm down, Jay needed to stay calm, too. “Yes. He can. To me, at least. And Mal. And Evie. He trusts us. But - like I said - we use signs instead.” 

“Signs?” The woman’s interest grew. She stepped forward. “Like ASL? Auradonian Sign Language?” 

“What?” Jay blinked, shaking his head. “No. Our signs. We made them up. We’ve used them for years.” 

The doctor deflated a little, looking resigned once more. “That’s just not sustainable, young man. We can’t understand what he’s saying, and it’s impossible to have you around all the time to translate.” 

“ _What_ ?” That was their problem? Were they really so selfish? They were going to write Carlos off all because _they_ couldn’t understand the hand signals? “Don’t you guys don’t have deaf people in Auradon?” 

“He’s not deaf,” the woman corrected, still holding that goddamn clipboard. “And those ‘signs’ you speak of aren’t standard. We believe he’s choosing to fall silent. His vocal chords seem to be fine, and you've said he’s spoken before.” 

“He just gets scared!” What about that couldn’t they understand? They were strangers with metal contraptions and medicine syringes and weird sex questions! “That’s all! When he’s comfortable, he talks. One word or two - sometimes more! He just doesn’t like you guys!” 

Jay was done with their questions; it was clear they’d already made up their minds. Before they could stop him, he ducked back into the room and locked the door. 

As predicted, Carlos was curled into a ball in the corner. His hands had come down from his ears, though, so maybe he really had been listening to Jay after all. 

“‘Los, it’s me.” Jay announced his presence so as not to startle him. “I’m not gonna let them touch you anymore, alright?” 

He came closer - still keeping a good distance - and sat on the tile floor. “You are not your mother. I don’t care what they say. They’re wrong, so you better not for a _second_ believe they know anything at all.” 

Carlos didn’t move or even look at him, but Jay knew he was paying attention anyway.

“They’re idiots,” he went on. “They asked me if I was sexually active! _Me!”_

The corner of Carlos’ mouth twitched over so slightly, and Jay grinned in relief. “I saw that.” 

The tile was cold on Jay’s ass and not particularly comfortable, but he didn’t care. He was sitting alone with Carlos; no doctors, no adults, no Auradon citizens staring at them. Just them. 

“This place is really weird,” Jay hugged his knees, resting his chin on top of them. “I don’t know if I’d rather be home or here. They have good food here, though. Maybe we can go get some soon. Ben said he’s gonna let us go to our dorms now. When you’re ready, we’ll go outside. Those doctors might still be there. Trying to ask more questions. But I won’t let them get to you. We’ll just follow Ben out the door and go find our room. Does that sound good? Food and quiet and doors that fucking lock?” 

A freckled arm unhooked itself from its tight position around his legs, and Carlos’ hand hovered for a moment - shaking a little - before signing one word: _good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much!! all kudos and comments are appreciated!


	5. prove yourself (i want to breathe)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone !! as promised, here is the next chapter of this fic :) trigger warnings are mostly the same as the others, although there is an added bit of pressure in this chapter from adults and friends.
> 
> enjoy!

Their first day of school was - by all accounts - a nightmare. 

Mal complained nonstop about the uniform and hissed at anyone who got too close (including Evie). People stared at them everywhere they went, whispering things about  _ islanders  _ and  _ dangerous  _ and  _ crazy boy.  _ Somehow, news had spread about Carlos’ break down in the hospital, and it definitely didn’t help that he hadn’t said a word to anyone at all since they’d arrived. Jay tried to correct people, tried to set the story right, but all he ever got in return were terrified stares and admonishing teachers.

Evie - who somehow pulled off the uniform perfectly - seemed hellbent on talking to every prince in the school. Nearly all of them ignored her, turning up their noses and stalking away like they were somehow superior just for being born into the Land of Pastels instead of the Land of… well, Garbage. Every time he saw her face crumple, he reminded himself that each and every one of them deserved to have their noses broken. 

And Jay himself? He felt stupid. In every single class, he stared without any comprehension. Teachers moved  _ fast,  _ writing across chalkboards about subjects he’d barely even heard of. Even normal ones like math seemed more challenging, and he just wasn’t used to brightly lit classrooms and uniform desks. 

“Lucifer,” Mal groaned as they made their way across campus after the final bell of the day. “These people do this every single day?” 

“You barely attended class three times a week at Dragon Hall,” Jay teased, elbowing her. “Is this challenging for you?

“Shut up.” She elbowed him right back. “You were always right there beside me when we dipped, so I don’t want to hear it.” 

It was strange to see her in a bright shirt and skirt combo after years of deep violet. He missed the leather and the spikes on all of them. For some reason, they all looked naked without their usual protective gear. Jay decided he would change as soon as he got back to his dorm. 

“You wanna come back to our dormitory?” he offered, mostly because Mal still had a stormy look in her eye that definitely didn’t make Jay excited to leave her alone with Evie. 

Mal had been furious at the thought of sharing a dormitory with the other girl. When Ben had informed her of the room assignments the previous afternoon, she’d gone red - right down to the base of her neck and ears - growling about sharing space with a heathen.

“Sure.” Mal tried to play it off, but Jay didn’t miss the way her shoulders relaxed instantly. 

When they reached the dorm building, Evie made a move to go left towards the girls’ wing before Jay stopped her. “Hey, that invitation was extended to you, too, Princess.” 

She just sighed, messing with the tip of her braid. “It’s alright. I have to finish the assignments they gave me today. I should go anyway.” 

“Bullshit.” Jay ignored Mal’s incessant glaring. “Come on. You’re part of us now.” 

Reluctantly, Evie smiled, falling into step with Carlos. Ever since the examination disaster, Carlos had been on edge; he hadn't said a word - even to Jay - and seemed fidgety and restless - always looking over his shoulder. Evie was one of the only people who didn’t seem to make him uncomfortable. 

“Jay,” Mal whispered venomously, grabbing his arm. “She’s not one of us. Stop trying to make it happen.” 

“She kind of is.” Jay studied her face carefully, trying to find the source of this continual mallace. Surely a six-year-old’s birthday party couldn't still be contributing to this much anger and… fear. Jay detected fear in her eyes - not much - but just enough to pique his interest. “Why are you so angry at her, anyway?” 

Mal clenched her jaw and looked straight ahead. “You know why.” 

“Oh, cut it out,” Jay scoffed. “I know you’re not still upset about a birthday party you didn’t get invited to when you were six. Yes, yes, it dramatically parallels your mother’s story and I’m a fan of irony, but I  _ know  _ you, Mal. You hate parties. You were six. There’s no way-” 

“Stop trying to figure me out.” She definitely looked angry now, squinting at Evie who was still walking shoulder to shoulder with Carlos up ahead. 

“Yeah, we’re like ten years too late for that.” Jay had grown pretty accustomed to Mal’s moods; he knew when to shrug off the defensive insults. “You hate her, sure, but why? What’s the real reason?” 

Mal didn’t answer and walked on in stony silence until they reached the boys’ dorm.

Jay still had to pinch himself every time he stepped through the doorway. 

Two big beds. A small fridge. A flat screen television. An actual table with matching chairs. Drapes. Wooden panelling.  _ A bathroom.  _ The list of luxuries within the Auradon Prep Dorm room went on and on and on.

Carlos sat down at his desk and immediately began unloading his pockets with tubes of liquid he must’ve stolen from the chemistry labs that morning. 

Jay laughed, shaking his head. “Still a little thief, I see,” he offered, hoping Carlos would at least crack a smile. He was rewarded with a thin one, the corner of Carlos’ mouth twitching as he held up a beaker for Jay to see. 

Jay had managed to lift a pretty good haul from the Auradon Prep student body, too, and now he unloaded a few bracelets, cell phones, and even a couple neckties from the depths of his clothes. The rich kids really needed to get better at protecting their personal belongings. 

Mal and Evie drifted to opposite sides of the room, busying themselves, and in a few minutes, the room was busy with the quiet hum of the four at work. Jay sat on the floor - counting up the spoils. Carlos still hadn’t left his desk - not carefully focused on organizing the new compounds he’d adopted into his existing racks of mixtures and chemicals. Mal scribbled furiously on the pages of her sketchbook, pausing every once and awhile to glower at Evie. And Evie had taken a pin cushion and needle from her purse and started hemming her own uniform. 

Presently, a knock on the door startled them from their concentrated haze. They glanced up, eyeing the thing carefully. People didn’t usually bother to knock on the island; mostly, they barged in or broke down doors. Jay threw a blanket over his stolen goods just in case, and Carlos covered his inventions protectively. 

“I’ll get it,” Evie finally sighed, sliding her skirt back on with a sigh. She took a moment to smooth it out before opening the door. “Yes?” 

“Hello, dear.” It was Fairy Godmother. She blinked, as if she was surprised to see Evie at the door. “Um - child, it’s lovely to see you, but you are aware that you’re not allowed to be in the boys’ wing of the dormitories, right?” 

Evie turned around and looked at Jay with a shrug, and he saw an innocent smile spread across her face. “Oh, no, I had no idea!” 

Fairy Godmother’s forehead relaxed. “Oh, well, I’m sure it just slipped everyone’s mind to tell you. We have very strict rules about girls’ and boys’ sleeping quarters - for everyone’s own safety and wellbeing, mind you. If you would all like to hang out, may I suggest the quad or the library?” 

“No, thank you,” Evie smiled politely, even throwing in a little curtsy much to Jay’s amusement. “We’re okay here.” 

“Dear, you misunderstand me,” Fairy Godmother sighed patiently. “You may not hang out in the boys’ rooms, nor are they allowed to spend time in your room. It’s just the way things are.” 

“Oh.” Now Evie was pouting; Jay knew very few people who could resist Evie’s pout, but it didn’t seem to be working on the Headmistress. 

“You and Mal will need to return to your own wing now,” she instructed. 

“Was this the only purpose of your visit?” Jay knew the girls would just sneak back over when she was gone, but they were going to have to be more careful from now on. “To send them away?” 

“Not away.” She didn’t sound quite so patient anymore. “I am merely enforcing a school rule put in place for your benefit!” The Headmistress took a moment to gather herself. “And no, that was not actually the reason I stopped by. I came to check in on you boys. Especially Carlos.” 

Ah, so  _ that  _ was her motive. She was coming to monitor the “crazy boy.” 

“He’s fine.” Jay folded his arms, getting to his feet. “We’re all fine.” 

“Carlos?” Fairy Godmother looked over at him hopefully, as if he might miraculously respond in coherent words. 

_ Bitch,  _ Carlos signed. The signal they’d created for the word was similar to their very first signal for Cruella; they couldn’t help themselves. 

Jay laughed now, shaking his head. “‘Los.” 

“What did he do?” Fairy Godmother apparently hadn’t been told about the signs, despite Jay yelling it at the doctors the previous afternoon. “What was that?” 

“He was talking.” Jay wanted the woman to leave; it was clear her visit wasn’t as well-intentioned as she had them believe. 

“He didn’t say anything,” she argued, motioning to where he sat. “He made a gesture.” 

“Yeah,” Mal huffed, sounding just as irritated as Jay. “Because that’s what they do. He and Jay speak with their hands. Jay tried to tell your fucking doctors yesterday but they wouldn’t listen.” 

“Young lady,” Fairy Godmother sang in a warning sort of way. “Correct your language and correct it now, please. You may be new here, children, but you are going to be expected to follow the same rules as all my other students. Separate dormitories. Polite language. Uniform and dress code. And in return for being good students, the four of you get a place here at Auradon Prep. That’s the deal.” 

Jay knew they were trapped; not physically, of course, but they were bound by the terms of this deal. The threat - although veiled - was perfectly clear: if they weren’t on their best behavior, they risked getting sent back to the island. 

_ Just stand down,  _ Carlos signed to him subtly.  _ She’s not worth it.  _

It was comforting to see Carlos signing to him again after almost twenty four hours of one word signs and head shakes. Maybe it was a message that he was going to be okay; that those doctors hadn’t broken him. 

_ Of course they didn’t break him,  _ Jay told himself.  _ If Carlos survived fourteen years on the island, he can handle whatever Auradon throws at him - even if it involves white coats and medicine syringes.  _

“Are these signs a form of Auradon Sign Language?” Fairy Godmother sounded just like the doctors from yesterday. Did they speak with her? How much did she know about the events that had transpired at the infirmary? 

“For the last time,” Jay huffed before remembering he was supposed to be polite now. “I mean, uh, no, ma’am. We made these ourselves. But I can translate.” 

_ Why does she care about our signs?  _ Carlos spelled out. 

“She just does,” Jay answered, feeling Fairy Godmother’s eyes trained on them both. “But it’s ok. I won’t let those doctors try and touch you again.” 

“Actually,” the Headmistress cut in. “That’s what I came to speak with him about. After yesterday’s - uh - episode -” 

There was that word again. Episode. Like Carlos was some sort of mental patient. 

“ - the doctors and the school have decided that it’s best if we monitor Carlos in a different way. We just need him for a few hours today and maybe tomorrow, too. Non-contact, of course, but there are some more advanced psychological exams we can perform to see if -”

“He’s crazy?” Jay shook his head. “He’s not. Stop saying that.” 

“I was going to say in need of special treatment. If Carlos truly is… mentally… different… we have measures in Auradon to help him -  _ young man!”  _

Jay had stepped forward, pushing her out into the hallway. “You can’t talk like that in front of him,” he argued. “You’re calling him crazy! You can’t say that to him!” 

“Not crazy, but perhaps he does have some sort of mental handicap,” she pressed, her arms crossed over her pale blue pantsuit. “He doesn’t speak. He wouldn’t let the doctor touch his arm or his shoulder. He seems to fixate upon those gestures -” 

“He’s talking through those gestures!” 

“We have no proof of that.” The Headmistress seemed to catch herself before her voice rose. “Are we supposed to just take a vil - your word? That you can somehow understand those little fidgety movements? Without a standardized system of communication, there’s no way for him to participate in classes or speak to adults about his progress; it’s just not realistic. This program is a trial; we are trying to see if the island children are able to contribute to our kingdom in a beneficial and productive manner, and I’m afraid your friend Carlos may be unable to do so.” 

“So you’re saying you’re going to send him back?” Jay’s heart began to beat a little faster. 

“Not necessarily.” Fairy Godmother shook her head. “He’s not any less  _ worthy,  _ dear, he just perhaps isn’t the right person to participate in this trial. His mother had a very dangerous mental disease. If he carries it as well, he could put our entire school at risk - including you.” 

Jay couldn’t believe what he was hearing; they thought Carlos wasn’t useful. That he was dangerous. That he was just like Cruella. He couldn’t speak and therefore was of no benefit to discover whether their little experiment meant anything. They might even send him back if there was nothing he could do for them. This wasn’t about providing for the children on the Isle; it was about the children on the Isle providing for the kingdom of Auradon. 

“I’ll work with him,” Jay volunteered wildly. “I’ll get him to communicate. He can speak - really speak, I mean. I’ll prove it to you.” 

Fairy Godmother sighed. “I suppose we could assess him again in a few weeks after he’s had some time to adjust. But if he’s made no marked improvement in his social relations, I’m afraid we’ve got no choice but to spend time testing him for Cruella de Vil’s mental disease. For his safety and everyone else’s.” 

_ A few weeks.  _ That was all Jay had to somehow get Carlos to do the one thing he’d always swore he’d never force him to do.

_ Oh, fuck me.  _

\----

“Come on, ‘Los,” Jay sighed, resting his head in his hands for a moment. “Please don’t be angry with me. Please. I just thought we could try it. Just one time?” 

He’d decided to wait until after dinner to bring up the whole needing-to-talk thing. He wasn’t sure if he should explain to Carlos how dire the situation was or not. On the one hand, it might relieve him of some guilt for going back on his word, but he saw no reason to stress Carlos out even more; maybe he’d shut down altogether and then they’d have no hope left. 

Still, hope seemed to be in short supply that night. 

Carlos was sitting perched on the edge of his bed - stone faced and growling. He hadn’t taken to the whole speaking thing very kindly. 

“I just need you to say it one time!” Jay felt like a traitor. He’d told Carlos he would never make him talk against his will, and yet here he was begging him to speak. “You already say your name a lot. It’s just, here, they want you to speak with… longer phrases, like ‘Hello, my name is Carlos.’ Can you do that? Please?” 

_ No,  _ Carlos signed, shaking his head for extra measure. 

“I know it sucks.” Jay inhaled slowly. “And you know what? I’ll just take your name for now. Forget about the sentence. Just… just say your name.” 

_ Carlos,  _ he signed stubbornly.  _ My name is Carlos.  _

“No!” Jay huffed out. “Out loud. You gotta, dude.” 

_ No.  _

“Fine.” Jay stood up. He wanted to try out the shower in their bathroom before their lights were supposed to be out, and if Carlos wasn’t going to comply, he really didn’t want to twist his arm. “I’m gonna shower.” 

Jay stalked towards the bathroom. He couldn’t even really be angry with Carlos for not speaking - not when Jay had out-of-the-blue decided that it was now something they needed from him. 

Messing with the handle on the shower, Jay spent several minutes trying to get the water warm before he figured it out. 

_ Stupid Auradon,  _ he huffed.  _ Stupid Auradon and their stupid idea that Carlos is just like Cruella. He’s not crazy. I’ve seen crazy. Evie says he’s not crazy. He’s not crazy.  _

He’d seen Fairy Godmother’s face, though. She thought he was crazy; maybe she thought it was only a matter of time before Carlos lost it and tried to skin all the animals in the vicinity. Or maybe he’d take it a step further and skin people. 

“Dammit,” Jay cursed, undressing and stepping under the warm stream. It felt good, rolling down his back in warm rivulets. He almost sighed in pleasure. How could anyone in Auradon ever be unhappy when they got to look forward to this every single night? 

He couldn’t let them take Carlos back to the island. Not when there was so much for him here. Watching Carlos and Mal eat real food - good food that wasn’t even from a can - had introduced Jay to a whole set of new emotions, and now that he’d discovered the wonders of the Auradon showers, Jay just  _ couldn’t  _ let Carlos go back to washing with lukewarm water from a bucket.

_ We will succeed, Pup,  _ Jay thought to himself, shutting his eyes and turning his face into the hot stream.  _ We’re gonna get them to see you how I do.  _

\---- 

The next time Jay brought up the speaking thing, he and Carlos were walking across the campus. Mal and Evie had returned to their dorm, but Carlos had wanted to stay outside for a few more minutes in the sunshine - something about needing the natural light for some project he was working on. 

As he sat on the grass messing with what looked like a watch of some sort, Jay dared to bring it up again. 

“‘Los?” 

Carlos hummed in response, and Jay smiled in spite of himself. 

“Remember yesterday? When I asked you to say some stuff out loud?” 

Carlos looked up at him, his face darkening.  _ Yes,  _ he signed.  _ Why did you do that? You said you didn’t care if I spoke. _

“I don’t.” And that was the full and complete truth. Jay didn’t care if Carlos only ever spoke in occasional one-word answers for the rest of his life. Their signs worked. They could communicate. He was happy. But Jay needed him in Auradon; he couldn’t let Carlos get sent back. “But… I just wanted to see if maybe here… you would speak more.” 

Blinking, Carlos put away his machine.  _ That sounds like you care.  _

“I really, really don’t.” Jay knew he was contradicting himself. “Carlos, I really don’t! I was just… curious.” 

_ You’re hoping Auradon is a magic cure,  _ Carlos spelled out quickly, scowling.  _ That I’ll magically speak all the time. Well, I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.  _

“Carlos!” 

But Carlos was already storming away, angrily walking back across campus. 

“Fuck.” Jay screwed his eyes shut in frustration. He’d fucked up. He’d really fucked up. He should’ve just manned up and told Carlos why he needed him to speak; what he’d told Fairy Godmother he would do. 

“Jay!” Mal had emerged from the dorm building behind them. “I just saw Spots run off. What happened? He looked upset.” 

Sometimes he swore she was a physic; Mal always managed to appear right when shit was going down. Maybe that was part of her new magic stuff - like the brighter glowing green eyes and the green smoke that she could now make curl from her fingertips. 

“He’s fine,” Jay said out of habit, cringing when she looked unimpressed with his lie. “Alright, no, okay? He’s not fine. I messed up. You know when I pushed Fairy Godmother into the hallway yesterday? Well, we were talking and I may have told her I would get Carlos to talk in the next few weeks. Like regularly. In her words, ‘normally’.” 

Mal looked aghast. “Why would you say that? I thought you didn’t care whether he spoke or didn’t! Just yesterday you were hellbent on classifying your signs as talking!” 

“I don’t care if he never says another word!” Jay said for the millionth time. The sun was less pleasant and more scalding now, beating down on his head and shoulders like an interrogation light. “I swear, I don’t. I only said it because she was going on and on about Carlos having Cruella’s disease - the one that made her go crazy and try and skin all those puppies. And she kept saying he was dangerous, and they might have to protect us by removing him from the program and all this other shit that really meant they’d send him back. I can’t let them do that, Mal. They can’t send him back.” 

Mal no longer looked so stunned. She sighed heavily, scuffing her boot against the lush green grass. It didn’t have the same satisfying crunch as the island pavement. “They really would do that, huh? Send him back?” 

“If he goes, Mal… we’d have to go, too. At least I would.” Jay couldn’t imagine letting Carlos ride alone in that big car all the way back to the island by himself. “I couldn’t let him go back alone. I was the one who invited him into the gang, so I should be the one who goes back with him.” 

“You’re just giving up?” Mal narrowed her eyes. “Is that how I taught you to do things?” 

“Oh, so  _ now _ you know me,” Jay mumbled, but stopped when she glared. 

“Yeah, I do.” She pointed in the direction Carlos had run off in. “How many weeks does he have? To prove himself ‘sane’ or whatever?” 

“She said a few,” Jay relayed with a shrug. “I don’t think Fairy Godmother is all that confident in him.” 

“Well, we’ll surprise her, then.” Mal straightened her shoulders. “None of us are going back. The four of us  _ will  _ stay here in Auradon, even if we have to claw tooth and nail to do it.”

“The four of us, huh?” He grinned, catching her slip. “Just admit it, you’re warming up to the princess.” 

“Absolutely not.” She bit her bottom lip a bit, eyes narrowing. “And that’s not what we were talking about. I meant the three of us.” 

“Sure you did.” Jay didn’t have time to sort out Mal’s weird complex about Evie. At the moment, he didn’t care about anything other than finding Carlos and explaining everything. 

“You have to explain it to him,” Mal said, her voice quieter now - almost gentle, if Mal’s voice could ever be called that. “Tell him everything. So he knows it’s them, not you.”

“And if he still doesn’t want to talk?” 

Mal shrugged. “Then… we cross that bridge when we come to it.” 

\--- 

That bridge appeared a lot sooner than Jay would’ve liked. 

He found Carlos sitting in the woods on an overturned log, right where the edge of the trees broke to reveal a panoramic view of the sea. In the distance, where the sparkling blue-green waves turned dark, sat the Isle - a rocky blight on the beautiful horizon. 

“Hey.” Jay made sure to announce his presence, as usual. 

Carlos didn’t answer or sign or even turn around. He just sat, staring. 

“You’re still angry at me, I take it” 

Again, no reply. 

Jay didn’t sit down, but he did walk closer, mirroring Carlos’ sea-gaze. “I shouldn’t have tried to get you to talk.” 

Carlos dropped his eyes to his lap, and Jay noticed now that there were tear tracks on his cheeks. 

_ Shit, if that doesn’t make me feel like the worst human alive.  _

Carlos almost never cried. In fact, the last time Jay had seen him cry was standing in the kitchen of Hell Hall with his mother’s blood all over him. But here he was - crying because Jay and his stupidity. 

“‘Los, I’m really sorry.” As often as Carlos cried was as often as Jay apologized. He hated it - truly, deeply hated it. It always made him feel weirdly hot and ashamed. “The truth is, I would be perfectly happy if you never said another word in your life. I would never make you do this unless it was really, really important.”

_ I don’t care,  _ Carlos signed, his mouth set into a firm line. 

“Please, Carlos, just hear me out.” Jay wondered if he’d already wrecked his chance of getting Carlos to speak; maybe he’d already broken that trust. “I don’t care if you speak or not, but they do. They told me, Carlos! Fairy Godmother told me!”

_ So? _

“They will take you away.” Jay felt his voice rising - not out of anger, but out of fear. You will be taken away! I won’t get to see you! Mal won’t get to see you! Evie won’t get to see you! You could get shipped back to the island if they don’t think you’re well enough to stay here, do you hear me?” 

_ Cruella is dead.  _

“That doesn’t mean it’s safe!” Jay rubbed his forehead helplessly. “Carlos… look - I’m not gonna force you to talk anymore. I said I wouldn’t, and I won’t. I’m gonna go back to the dorms and leave you alone for awhile. If you decide you want me to help you speak or… or just keep you company, come find me, alright? I don’t want you to go back to the island. I don’t. But if you go back, I’m going with you. Just… just so you know.” 

That had to be good enough. Jay was done trying to play the hero. He would help Carlos, but only if Carlos wanted help at all. 

\----

Jay had trouble sleeping that night. Despite the comfortable pillow and bed that was much softer than his carpet back home, he still couldn’t let go of his conversation with Carlos. Maybe if he’d just started with that from the beginning - left it up to Carlos to decide instead of forcing it on him - they wouldn’t be in this position. And worse, Jay had been the one to fuck up but it would be  _ Carlos  _ taking the fall. He would be the one classified as crazy and dangerous and unfit to stay in Auradon, not Jay. 

He rolled over and checked the time. It was one in the morning - not unreasonably late. He listened closely, trying to detect movement coming from Carlos’ bed, but it was silent. Maybe a little too silent. 

Carlos had returned for dinner - even angry island kids didn’t like to miss a free, fresh meal - but he still hadn’t interacted much with Jay. He’d signed a bit with Evie at dinner, even laughing with her, but that apparently hadn’t indicated he was through being pissed - not that Jay blamed him. 

After a few more restless minutes (or was it hours?), Jay became aware of someone standing  _ right behind him.  _ He started, rolling over and sitting up - his heart beating wildly. But it was just Carlos, holding a pile of books to his chest and staring at him. 

“Shit,” Jay whispered, rubbing his eyes. “Dude, you can’t just… stand there like that without telling me. What the hell are you holding, anyway?” 

“Books.” It was the first word Carlos had said since arriving in Auradon. His voice was hoarse from misuse, and it looked like it took a great effort to form it at all, but it was a  _ word.  _ And just the fact that he was willing to try was good enough for Jay. 

Jay watched him, his gaze drifting over the shadows on Carlos’ freckled face. He recognized the look there - one of determination. “You really wanna do this? Because Carlos, trust me, I will fight for you to stay whether you speak or not. I’m not gonna force you. I - I was - I shouldn’t have -”

Carlos put the books down on the bed, shaking his head.  _ I’m okay,  _ he signed. It was one they used often; one that always brought Jay endless comfort. 

Patting the blanket, Jay moved over to make some space, and after a few more seconds of internal deliberation, Carlos clambered up. 

“I - I’m not sure how to even go about this,” Jay admitted. It was easier to admit he didn’t know everything in the dark. “I’ve never tried to… help somebody speak before. But Evie told me you used to be able to talk all the time.” 

_ No,  _ Carlos signed, shaking his head.  _ I only talked to her. I don’t know why. I couldn’t talk to anyone else. _

“Well…” Jay took a breath. “Maybe it would help to remember why you stopped?” 

Carlos thought for a moment. Through the break in the curtains, a stripe of white light fell across his face.  _ I didn’t stop,  _ he spelled out.  _ It’s always been this way.  _

“But Evie said you used to speak.” All these years and Jay had never asked him any of this; he’d never really stopped to think about it, either. All those days fighting and running and stealing and planning had left no time to sit and think about their pasts - not when each second was focused on surviving for their future.

_ I don’t know,  _ Carlos signed.  _ It just… was easy with her. I couldn’t with anyone else.  _

“When you say you ‘couldn’t’...” Jay started, lost in thought. This whole thing felt like a puzzle; a bunch of scattered jigsaw pieces that didn’t seem to fit together. “You didn’t want to? You weren’t allowed to? Or…” 

_ I physically couldn’t,  _ Carlos spelled out.  _ It just… doesn’t work.  _

Glancing over at the books Carlos had set on the bed, Jay scanned the spines. “Dealing with Selective Mutism… Frozen in Silence… Cognitive Behavioral Therapy… ‘Los, what’s this? And where did you get all these?” 

_ After dinner,  _ Carlos signed.  _ Library. It’s huge. _

“Selective Mutism,” Jay repeated. He flipped open the cover of the first, scanning down the introduction. “That’s a speech thing. Carlos… you freeze up, right? When you try and speak to adults or strangers?” 

_ It’s not a perfect fit,  _ Carlos spelled out with a shrug.  _ But I did some research and this seems pretty close.  _

“Yeah, this says you should be speaking freely at home,” Jay read, shaking his head. “And you don’t.” 

_ Like I explained,  _ Carlos signed.  _ It’s not perfect.  _

“But you can speak a little bit.” Jay opened up another book, scanning a description of a few more speech impediments. “So you can’t have traumatic mutism.”

_ I don’t think the definition matters,  _ Carlos spelled out.  _ I got these for the therapy techniques.  _

“Okay.” Jay took a deep breath. “We can do this. All of these seem to say we should start slowly and carefully.” 

_ Slowly and carefully,  _ Carlos echoed with his hands.

“Maybe just start with one word answers for now,” Jay said. “Like we used to before we created the signs. And then… we’ll just build it up. You don’t have to give speeches or anything. Just… let them know you’re not crazy.” 

It hurt to say, but there was no point in sugar-coating the truth. These people thought Carlos was dangerous, and if talking was the only way to prove them wrong, then so be it. 

“Pup?” 

A few beats and then - “Yes?” 

Jay smiled a bit at the scratchy, small voice. “You’re gonna be okay. I promise.” 

He hoped it was a promise he could keep. 

\---

The next day, Jay tried not to watch Carlos too closely. Five words. That’s what they’d agreed upon early that morning. Carlos would speak five words today - out loud. Jay had thought about adding “to adults” but had decided against it; the books had been pretty adamant about taking things slowly. 

_ We can’t go slowly,  _ Jay’s brain tried to argue.  _ We don’t have time!  _

The first word was spoken to Mal at breakfast. They sat down at the table in the corner with their trays loaded with heaps of Auradon delicacies - steaming and sizzling. The sight never failed to make Jay’s mouth water. If he never had to eat a bowl of stale, mushy bran again he’d die happy. 

“Morning,” Mal nodded at the boys as they sat down. “Sleep well?” 

Jay nodded, too busy to answer, but after a moment, Carlos cleared his throat a few times. He glanced around the cafeteria, his fists coming to clench near Jay’s thigh before whispering, “Yes.” 

It was a lie; he and Carlos hadn’t gone to bed until the light outside the window had faded from black to grey, but it was still a  _ word. Spoken in public.  _ If he could’ve, Jay would’ve hugged Carlos in front of everyone and never let go. 

Mal raised an eyebrow, and even Evie looked surprised. “Well, hello there, Spots,” the purple-haired fae said mildly. “Jay, I take it your conversation went well yesterday?”

“What conversation?” Evie looked back and forth between Jay and Mal. “What did I miss?” 

“None of your business.” Mal skewered a piece of fresh, golden fruit on her fork and popped it into her mouth. 

“It’s Carlos,” Jay explained, smiling apologetically at the Princess. “They want him to speak to prove he’s not… crazy.” 

Evie’s face darkened. “He’s not crazy.” 

“I know that.” Jay ate a few bites of toast before continuing. “And you know that. But they want him to be just like everyone else. If he’s different… they’ll be afraid of him. So, ‘Los and I decided that he’s going to say five words out loud today. Doesn’t matter where or when. Tomorrow, we’ll increase it.” 

“Well, one down, four to go, right?” Mal gave Carlos a rueful smile. “You got this.” 

And Jay really, really hoped she was right. 

Carlos’ second word came outside of their second period class. 

The hallways were mostly empty - with just a few stragglers running to make it to their classrooms on time. Carlos stood, one hand gripping his backpack strap and the other messing with something in his hand. 

“You ready?” Jay jerked his head towards the room where Fairy Godmother was waiting. Remedial Goodness was apparently a “required course” for island kids - as if any Auradon class taught by an Auradon adult could ever truly remove the blackness from their veins and hearts. 

“Yes.” 

And Jay smiled. Two “yes’s” that morning. That was an improvement. It really didn’t matter that Carlos had only spoken to their gang - he was still  _ speaking in public.  _ And as the two entered class and took their seats, he wondered if maybe they could actually pull this off. 

Jay prided himself on thoroughly not paying attention in class. He messed around with little balls of paper with Carlos, leaned his chair back, and absorbed none of the information from Fairy Godmother's patronizingly silly lecturing. To her credit, she didn’t try to force words out of Carlos any more than she usually did (usually a prompt or two every few minutes, baiting him to utter  _ something)  _ and Carlos - as usual - ignored her. 

By the time the final bell rang, Jay thought he was in the clear - free of her for another day - but she motioned him up to her desk before he’d even stood up. 

“Jay, dear,” she smiled, organizing papers as if this was just a friendly check-in. “How are things going?” 

Jay decided to play dumb. “Pretty good. It’s been a little difficult trying to adjust to the schedule here, but the food’s good.” 

She eyed him, maybe trying to decide if he was being serious or messing with her. “I’m glad to hear that. What about your friends?” Again, an open invitation for him to share, to unload information about Carlos. 

“They agree with me.” Jay refused to give in; if she wanted to ask for information, she needed to grow some balls and stop hiding behind formalities. 

The Headmistress finally put the papers down, lowering her voice. “And Carlos? How is he doing?” 

_ You mean is he crazy? Has he gone insane? Has he proven himself yet?  _ Jay gave her a cold smile - just friendly enough to hide the angry thoughts swirling through his brain. “He’s good,” he said firmly. “We’re all good.” 

Perhaps Fairy Godmother understood then that Jay wasn’t going to give her anything else because she let him leave, returning to her previous activity of desk organization without any new insights on “the crazy boy.” 

“What was that all about?” Mal asked when he finally emerged, falling in line with the other three. 

“Just her being nosy.” He shook his head. “Carlos is our business, not hers.” 

“She might disagree,” Evie laughed mirthlessly. 

“Keep your ass out of this, Blueberry.” Mal glared at her. Anyone else would’ve withered under such a stare, but Evie just held her head up and marched onwards. Really, Jay admired her pluck; who else could have lasted this long with Mal taking shots at them left and right? 

“Three more words today, ‘Los,” Jay assured him quietly. “That’s all. Just three.” 

When lunch rolled around, Carlos grabbed two trays of food while Jay carried their backpacks to their corner table. 

“You seen the girls yet?” Jay asked over his shoulder as they reached it, setting everything down with loud thumps. 

_ No,  _ Carlos signed before making a face.  _ Sorry I should’ve said that out loud.  _ He cleared his throat, but the cafeteria was louder than it had been at breakfast, and it only seemed to grow busier with every passing second. Carlos messed with the collar of his polo, swallowing hard. After a few moments of attempting, he shook his head.

“Hey,” Jay smiled at him encouragingly. “Dude, it’s fine. I told you. You only have to speak a little bit at a time - not all the time. This just isn’t the right place. I get it. It’s loud in here.” 

Carlos still looked a bit down, though. Even when the girls joined them, sliding into their seats, he barely looked up. Jay watched him with a sigh. He hated that Carlos felt so stupid - that he was being evaluated on the one thing he wasn’t good at. 

“‘Los,” he tried, reaching across the table to tap his arm, but Carlos yanked it away and stared down at his food. 

_ Fuck these people,  _ Jay thought - not for the first time.  _ How can they sit here and do this to him? How can we sit here and  _ let  _ them do this to him?  _

It took awhile for Carlos’ mood to lighten. His face stayed stormy through the rest of their afternoon classes. He still listened, jotting down notes. Jay reminded himself to let Fairy Godmother know Carlos could write - although, she’d probably already observed it and deemed “less important” compared to his speaking dilemma; as she’d explained a hundred times, the “genetic disease” harboring itself in Carlos’ brain must be affecting his ability to speak. 

_ Plenty of people can’t speak,  _ Jay shrugged.  _ She could barely speak earlier to me when she wanted to ask me about ‘Los. Kept beating around the bush. Carlos says more in no words than she said in an entire conversation.  _

He wouldn’t have blamed Carlos for wanting to postpone Jay’s “five words” speaking challenge, but Carlos wasn’t a quitter. As they headed back to the dormitory building after the school day had run its course, he looked over at Jay with a shrug. 

“Alright.” 

And Jay thought it was the perfect word to describe the day. “Alright,” Jay repeated back, nodding a bit. 

With what looked like great effort, Carlos wet his lips and went for another one. “Thanks.” 

“For what?” 

_ For helping,  _ Calros signed.  _ For understanding. Today would have been hard without you. _

And Jay felt very, very warm for the rest of their walk back. 

He wasn’t going to push for the last word. Four words was a start - and a good one, too. Jay was happy with four, and so proud of Carlos for trying at all. In fact, he had to stop himself from thinking about it too hard for fear the pride might actually start seeping out into the open. 

But just as they were going to bed, sliding between silk sheets and down blankets, Jay heard it - the softest whisper coming from the other bed: 

“Night, Jay.” 

And he smiled. “Night, ‘Los.” 

Six. Six words. Leave it to Carlos de Vil to go above and beyond. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !! come hit me up on tumblr (@unapologeticallyjaylos) !! 
> 
> kudos and comments are always, always appreciated <3


	6. my secret love (became impatient to be free)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! i was not planning on posting this chapter so soon, but with this whole pandemic going on right now, i figured you all deserved something to read so <3 
> 
> please stay safe! social distance! wash your hands! 
> 
> and enjoy :) trigger warnings stay pretty much the same!

Something was up with Mal. 

Jay had been picking up on it for awhile, but now that he and Carlos had settled into a regular rhythm of speech practice, he finally had time to really dwell on their leader’s odd behavior. 

“‘Los, have you noticed how weird Mal’s been lately?” Jay was lounging on his bed and playing catch with a small hard ball he’d stolen from a kid’s gym bag earlier. 

“Weird?” Carlos asked, looking up from his textbook. 

A smile tugged at Jay’s mouth, just like it always did when Carlos spoke. It was starting to become more regular when they were alone; he still hadn’t said anything to adults yet or loud areas, but words were starting to come a little bit easier when it was just the two of them in their dorm. 

“Yeah.” He snatched the ball out of the air. “You know, like… she’s hiding something.” 

Carlos hummed noncommittally, turning the page of his textbook and scribbling something on his math assignment. 

“Come on.” Jay sat up now, temporarily pausing his game of catch. “You can’t tell me she hasn’t been acting weird. She’s always looking over her shoulder, and acting all… tough. She barely ever lets her guard down - even when it’s just the four of us.”

“Exactly.” Carlos continued solving his math problems, punching in numbers on a calculator. 

“What’s ‘exactly’ supposed to mean?” Jay frowned, having shoved his own homework in his backpack without so much as an attempt. “You know what she’s up to? Does it have to do with the wand?” 

And Carlos actually laughed, shaking his head so that his curls flopped into his eyes. 

“Look Mister,” Jay grinned, tossing a pillow in his direction. “Just because you talk now doesn’t mean you get to be cryptic and then _laugh at me.”_

 _Asshole,_ Carlos spelled out teasingly. _You’re just pissed because you don’t see it._

“See what?” 

But no matter how many pillows he threw, Carlos kept his lips sealed. 

His words stayed at the forefront of Jay’s mind, though. _Exactly._ What had Carlos meant by “exactly?” What did he understand that Jay didn’t? Sure, Mal had been moodier than usual, but Jay couldn’t for the life of him see what made Carlos so sure - sure enough to _laugh -_ that it wasn’t the pressure of her mother’s last request before they’d left the island.

He himself had often replayed Jafar’s parting words to him, especially at night in the dark. 

_Don’t be stupid. Don’t throw away this chance to liberate us all. These people - the same ones inviting you to curl up their laps - condemned us to this life of scraps. They don’t deserve a chance to explain themselves._

The words sent shivers down Jay’s spine - not so much at the thought of what his father had been implying as much as the statements rang true. Auradon _had_ condemned them. The rulers had shut them all away on that rocky prison with nothing but garbage and scraps and put their gold-plated, diamond encrusted rose-colored glasses for good measure. They’d never lost sleep at night, snoring away in their feather beds and castles. They’d never once thought about the children starving and cold - just waiting to die. Jafar was right; they didn’t deserve a chance to explain why a teenage Crown Prince was the first to notice the issues with the island. Why he was the only one willing to do anything about it. Jay might not like royals, but he didn’t mind Ben. At least he’d kept his word and returned their knives, despite imploring them to keep it a secret. 

In Jay’s mind, it seemed more than plausible that these thoughts were burdening Mal, too. They’d often been aligned that way - thinking and behaving similarly. Was it really so beyond the realm of possibilities to chalk up her strange behavior to these pressing internal battles? Carlos apparently thought so. 

And by the following afternoon, Jay would, too. 

None of them had really heeded Fairy Godmother’s “no mixing policy” in the dormitories. They spent many afternoons and evenings sneaking their way into the girls’ and boys’ wings respectively, which was exactly what Jay found himself doing at four fifteen that Saturday afternoon.

He and Carlos were planning on heading to the little town just outside of campus that students were allowed to visit on the weekends, and Jay figured one of them should stop by the girls’ dorm to ask if they wanted to come along, too. 

Jay made it to their door without any trouble, his fist coming up to hover over it, but he paused when he heard Evie’s voice. 

“... hiding it, Mal!” she huffed, sounding exasperated. “I can’t do it anymore.” 

So Mal _was_ hiding something, Jay noted with satisfaction, leaning closer to listen. And oddly enough, Evie was in on it. He tried not to feel affronted that neither of them had bothered to tell him. 

“Princess.” It was the first time he’d ever heard Mal say that without a hint of malice. “It’s not my favorite thing either, trust me.” 

“Oh, please,” came Evie’s reply. “You _love_ pretending to hate me. Gets you all hot and riled up. Trust me. I see it.” 

“Not true!” Mal sounded almost offended. “Evie, I would like nothing more than to put you on full display as mine and only mine, but you _know_ that can’t happen… I just… I can’t. I’m not ready.” 

Jay’s mouth was open in astonishment. He stood - rooted to the floor - and tried to make sense of everything he was hearing. Mal… her insistence upon hating Evie with all her dark heart and Isle-blackened soul… 

There was a fine line between hate and love, and Mal had apparently jumped across it with both arms thrown wide. Or… both legs? Were they fucking? 

_That lying little bitch._

He wondered how long she and Evie had been doing this… whatever it was. It sounded like it was more than an arrangement - almost a relationship. A small pang of something like jealousy rolled through him - but whether he was jealous of their intimacy or simply angry that she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him, he couldn’t be sure. 

“M…” Evie’s voice had gone soft. They had affectionate nicknames for each other? 

“I know, I know,” Mal’s voice said impatiently. “You say I should just let go. Accept it. But… I can’t. Not yet. I’ll get there. I’m trying. But I’m supposed to hate you, E. I have to hate you. And if I admit that… well, that we’re like this… my entire front is ruined. I’ll look weak.” 

“You could never be weak.” Jay had never heard Evie’s voice sound so… in love. 

Presently, there was the sound of what could only be deep kisses. Jay rolled his eyes. This had been happening right under his nose for Evil knew how long. He kicked himself for not picking up on it before. Did they really have to go at it right in front of him for Jay to identify sexual tension?

Apparently. 

“Princess,” came Mal’s throaty laugh. “I told you to save that for tonight.” 

“Oh, shut up!” Evie laughed. “If I wanted, I could have you naked in five minutes.”

“Try five seconds.” 

Jay blinked. Carlos had been right to laugh at him. He - the thief who prided himself on being observant and good at reading people - had managed to completely miss an entire sexual and apparently romantic relationship happening right under his nose. And worse, this definitely didn’t seem like a new thing; the girls were too comfortable with each other in there, too playful for this to be brand new. 

_Mal is in love,_ Jay realized. _I think Mal is in love with Evie. That’s why she’s been so committed to hating her in public._

If Maleficent knew - if anyone knew - that Mal loved somebody, they would both be in serious danger. The thought sent chills down Jay’s spine. 

Breathy sighs and giggles were coming from the other side of the door now, and it occurred to Jay that Auradon probably had rules against listening to other people get it on, but he needed more information - clues as to how long this had been going on. 

Sure enough, in between the rather lewd noises, Evie said, “I think Carlos is onto us.” 

“Really?” Mal asked, the noises letting up for a moment. “ _That’s_ what you’re thinking about right now? With my -” 

“I’m serious!” Evie laughed. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. We have all afternoon.” 

“What makes you think Carlos knows about us?” Mal said, sounding unsure. “I mean, I’ve practically bitten your head off every time you’ve tried to speak since we got here.” 

“I know, baby,” Evie purred. “But I think that’s exactly why he’s suspicious. I keep catching him staring at us with this… smile. He knows something’s going on, but I don’t know to what extent he’s figured it out.” 

“Mmm, like how often we’re fucking?” 

“Mal!” 

Mal’s laughter rang out - loud and _happy._ Jay had never heard her sound that… content, and some of his initial anger at being lied to faded some as he listened.

“You say that, and yet… look at you!” Mal laughed again, and Jay caught his breath once more. “I would say this is a pretty scandalous look for the most beautiful princess on the Isle. Stop hitting me! You know I’m right!” 

“I’ll hit it good if you just come a little closer,” came Evie’s promise. “That’s it… I’ve got you, baby.” 

Jay heard Mal’s gasps lengthen into groans and figured they’d resumed their previous activities. 

Jay took a few steps away from the door to compose himself. Mal was… most likely in love with Evie. It seemed like Evie loved her back. They’d been hiding it for evil knew how long; and somehow, Mal had never sounded happier. It was a lot to take in. 

_Carlos._

He clearly suspected something of this nature, but now Jay had proof. And now, together, they could figure out how to approach the girls about their newfound knowledge and hopefully avoid being burnt to a crisp by a certain green-eyed fae. 

He sprinted back to the boys’ dormitories, not even stopping to body slam Chad Charming when he strutted pompously past. 

“You were right!” Jay shouted as he banged the dorm room door open and strode into the room. 

Carlos - who was bent over yet another strange whirring machine at his desk - jumped. 

“Sorry.” Jay shut the door behind him - slowly, this time. “I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just… yesterday, when you were laughing at me about thinking Mal’s mood change had to do with the wand? I get why now.” 

Carlos smiled, remembering. _You were pretty blind,_ he spelled out. 

“I know, I know,” Jay waved him off. “Mal’s got a thing for Evie. I overheard them just now. In their dorm.” 

“Sex?” Carlos raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, but that wasn’t the important part.” People could hate each other and still have sex. Jay’s world hadn’t been shaken by their gasps and moans, but by the softness there. He hadn’t overheard some lust-filled, hate-driven fuck fest - instead, he’d happened upon two girls _affectionately opening up about their fears._ “Carlos… I think they’re in love.” 

A pause and then - “Love.” Carlos mulled that over for a moment, blinking. “How?” 

“Well, for one thing, Evie called her ‘M’,” Jay recalled, shaking his head. “And for another… Mal was being vulnerable. Like really opening up and talking to her. They’re both in on the whole ‘Mal hates Evie and bullies her’ routine. ‘Los, how could we have been so stupid?”

 _We?_ Carlos signed with a smile. _Don’t rope me into this. I had a feeling. You were the oblivious one._

Jay tried to imagine what Mal must be feeling. He’d never been in love - never really wanted to be - and every time he’d ever dared to bring it up, she’d laughed it off. Love is weakness, she always said. You won’t catch me falling for some doe-eyed prince. 

_Well,_ Jay thought, _She was right. She fell for a doe-eyed princess. Not that it really makes much of a difference._

He remembered her laugh - so happy amongst all the regular noises of lust and filth. She’d been pretending; hiding her feelings for Evie beneath the easy mask of hatred. 

“You gotta admit,” Jay said aloud. “She did play the part of hating Evie well.” 

“A little too well,” came Carlos’ quiet reply. 

It was four words all at once, and Jay temporarily dropped Mal’s newfound emotions to grin proudly at Carlos. “That was really good, Pup.” 

Pink tinged Carlos’ cheeks, and he avoided eye contact. _No,_ he spelled out. 

“Yes, it was.” Jay shook his head. “Four words, Carlos. In a row. Fuck.” 

They’d hardly been in Auradon two weeks and things were already changing so fast; Carlos was talking; Mal and Evie were romantically involved. 

“I didn’t think Auradon would change us.” The admission came without without his approval. 

“Change?” Carlos looked pensive, as if the thought had never occurred to him. 

“I mean,” Jay ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, change. We’re… a gang. Evie, too, no matter what Mal says. Although, now I guess she won’t have a problem with it. But Auradon seems like it could… pull us apart?” It sounded stupid, and Jay knew it. He flushed, shaking his head. “Shit, just forget I said anything. I don’t know what I’m feeling.” 

_You are okay,_ Carlos signed. _Feeling like this is okay._

Jay had told Carlos that countless times before - especially when the latter was panicking - but Carlos had never really signed it back to him. The role reversal felt new, but not totally uncomfortable. Maybe a little. Jay wasn’t good at letting people take care of him. 

“Yeah,” he said, breathing out. Maybe he would try Carlos’ trick with reciting the periodic table if these weird intrusive thoughts kept happening. “Maybe.” To distract himself, he glanced at Carlos’ machine. “What’s got you so caught up?” 

Carlos held it up, a hint of pride in his eyes. He let Jay explore the thing for a moment before giving an explanation. _I’m testing it out,_ he signed quickly . _It’s an electromagnetic disruptor._

“Whatever the hell that means.” Jay was grinning anyway. That was one change in Auradon he might be okay with; Carlos had never had such good access to parts and tools. He liked to make these contraptions, and he was good at it, too. 

At least one part of Auradon was treating Carlos right. 

\---

“How long?” Jay cornered Mal in the back of the library, blocking her path. He’d been trailing her all afternoon, trying to figure out the best way to let their leader know that her secrets weren’t so secret anymore. 

“What?” She made a face, as if it was _him_ who was acting weird; as if _he_ were the one with a hidden girlfriend.

“How long?” Jay repeating, not moving an inch. “How long have you been hiding her from me?” 

Something flared up - flickering behind her eyes - but Mal stayed stubborn as ever. “Jay, I don’t have time for your bullshit.” She attempted to maneuver around him, but he stuck with her. 

“Don’t pull that.” He wasn’t sure if he was angry or not; he and Mal had never promised to tell each other everything, nor had they never kept secrets from each other in the past, but this was different. This felt bigger. The Evie thing wasn’t for his own safety or for the good of the gang, no, it was simply Mal’s way of copping out so she didn’t have to deal with her own emotions in the harsh light of day. “I know, Mal. I know about her. I know about you.” 

“Her?” Mal wasn’t making eye contact with him, scanning the shelves of books as if she just hadn’t quite found the one she was looking for, yet. 

“Evie.” 

The name stilled her. Mal paused, her knees half bent - finger poised just above the spine of a moss green book. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Another lie. 

“Christ,” Jay huffed. “I heard you. Both of you.” 

Mal straightened up suddenly, her eyes flashing. “What did you hear?” 

Jay had expected a violent reaction, and he braced himself expectantly. “I heard a lot of things. You wanna clarify exactly what it was I picked up on through the door?” 

“Were you eavesdropping?” Mal hissed, the books forgotten. 

“Not purposefully.” 

She continued to look right into him with that piercing gaze, maybe trying to tell if he was lying. “It… culminated,” she said. “You know… violent passions and all. It’s just sex. I needed some, and she was willing to give it.” 

“You’re still lying.” Jay wasn’t going to leave until he got the whole story - or at least most of it. Mal was his oldest associate - or… friend. Mal was his oldest friend. And it wasn’t like he’d run off to tell Maleficent; he had her back just like she had his. But only if they could trust each other. “I heard you laughing. And you don’t laugh like that very often.” 

She wet her lips a bit. “Whatever you heard… it was part of my plan.” She leaned in closer, and Jay recognized the expression on her face; she thought she was being crafty. “I’m leading her on to break Miss Heartbreaker’s heart. Got it? Give her a taste of her own medicine, if you will.” 

“Mal.” Jay closed his eyes for a moment. “God, how can we do this if you keep lying to me? I fucking heard you! You can’t lie your way out of this one. I don’t even know why you lied to begin with. What? Did you think I was in league with your mother? That I was gonna spread it all over town? After all -” 

“I was ashamed, _Jay,”_ Mal growled, her cheeks pink. “I still am! So shut up, and we’re going to pretend this never happened! This only works if no one knows!” 

“Well,” Jay raised his hands. “People know. Meaning me and Carlos. So you can either go on pretending or let us in. You let her in.” 

“No, I didn’t!” Mal looked around helplessly, and Jay wondered if perhaps he’d broken her. Apparently, she’d been perfectly alright to hide in the shadows with her feelings. “She’s nothing to me. Absolutely nothing.” 

“Careful,” Jay raised an eyebrow in warning. “She’s right behind you.” 

Mal’s face colored with fear and embarrassment and maybe even shame. She spun around, her hands flying to her face. “Evie, I’m -” But she was only met with empty air and rows of books. “ _You ass.”_

“I’m the ass?” Jay shook his head. “Nah, I just had to make sure I wasn’t making all this up. And I’m not. I get that this is new. And scary, probably. But I don’t want you to lie to me anymore. That’s not how we work.” 

“That’s how we’ve always worked.” Mal turned around slowly. “We all have secrets, Jay. Don’t you dare for a second pretend that I’m the only one.” 

He thought about that for a moment. She was wrong. He didn’t have any secrets - not really. Sure, he hadn’t told her about _all_ the times his father had lost his shit or where every single scar had come from, but she didn’t need to know all that; it wouldn’t make it better or do them any good. “We kept things secret to protect each other,” Jay reminded her. “But this? This is only protecting you.” 

“And her.” Mal’s voice was harder than nails - harder than the iron Jay knew her mother sometimes used to teach her a lesson. “And you. And Carlos. Don’t you get it, Jay? If anyone finds out… that I…” Her voice trailed off for a moment. “Well, you know… I won’t be able to protect you guys. If we get sent back -”

“We’re not getting sent back.” 

She folded her arms. “So Carlos is talking fluidly with every adult he sees?” 

Jay swallowed hard; there was no good answer to that question.

“See?” Mal reached out to touch his arm. “I can’t guarantee his safety over there without my reputation. If we go back… if he goes back… we can’t risk it.” 

After a moment, Jay softened the littlest bit. “The truth is,” he shrugged. “Carlos is fucked either way if he goes back, so… you loving Evie isn’t going to change that.” 

“Who said I loved her?” Mal definitely looked terrified now. 

“No one,” Jay shrugged. “But they didn’t need to. It was pretty obvious from what I heard. You guys even have nicknames for each other.”

“Don’t tell me you stayed just to hear the sex.” 

In spite of everything, Jay allowed himself to smile. “I could listen to that anywhere. And I wasn’t in that kind of mood anyway. 

Mal looked unimpressed. “You’re always in that kind of mood.” 

“Not right then. I was angry,” Jay admitted. “I didn’t know why you’d lie to me about something like that. Or how long you’d been doing it.” 

Mal didn’t elaborate right away; she just shrugged and looked off for a long while. “It wasn’t ever supposed to turn into this.” 

Jay didn’t know what that meant, exactly, but he was grateful for a shred of information. “You know Mal,” he said, falling back into his usual joking exterior for a moment. “When we all got chosen, and I said you should learn to be civil to her, I didn’t mean -” 

“It was too late.” She met his gaze now, her jaw clenched tight. “It was far, far too late.” 

Her words took a moment to register. “Too late? As in? Wait, did this start before we came to Auradon?” Jay tried to think back to their lives before the proclamation. How strange - it felt like a different lifetime entirely. “Hold on - you were always sneaking off… going to meet someone… Oh my god, Mal! _You’ve been seeing her for years!_ When Carlos brought her into our hideout… you thought she’d given you guys away! _Holy shit!_ ” 

Mal’s jaw stayed clenched. “Keep your voice down.” 

Jay hadn’t been prepared for that level of… well, of something. He knew he should be pissed about Mal hiding it for _so long_ and maybe he was, but he was mostly… shocked. “Holy shit.” 

“You’ve said that.” Mal’s voice was dry. 

“Yeah, because _holy shit.”_

They stood there for a while without saying anything. Finally, Mal shrugged. “It’s not going to be a problem, right?” 

“No.” It wasn’t a problem. New, maybe. And it might take him a while to wrap his mind around Mal… truly loving someone. But not a problem. 

And maybe he was just projecting, but he thought he saw Mal breathe a sigh of relief. 

\---

Evie came to visit the boys’ dorms later that night. 

Jay was sort of expecting it after his conversation with Mal. Still, when she showed up outside their door, he felt a little jolt. He scanned her for a poisoned apple or some other means of hurting him, but her hands were clasped in front of her - empty.

“Hi, Princess.” Jay flashed her a friendly smile - as if he hadn’t just confronted her probably-girlfriend in the library and figured out everything. “What’s up?” 

She raised an eyebrow. “So… I guess you know. About us.” 

_So we’re going right for it then,_ Jay thought, nodding. Alright. If she wanted to be transparent, he could follow her lead.

“Yeah.” He smiled again - less cocky this time. “I kinda figured it out. You - you wanna come in?” 

Evie accepted, walking into their dorm and looking around. Tonight, her blue-haired had been tucked into a messy up-do - just carefully careless enough for Jay to know she’d spent a good while getting ready. 

“Where’s Carlos?” 

Carlos almost never went anywhere alone on campus; not because he couldn’t handle it, but because Jay was terrified what would happen if someone (namely Fairy Godmother or some other Auradon prick) decided to take him away before their “few weeks” deadline was up. He’d been working so hard, but as the days passed, Jay found himself growing almost paranoid that one day he’d wake up, and Carlos would just be… gone. 

“He’s showering.” Jay jerked his hand towards the bathroom door, which was indeed shut. 

Evie glanced at the speech therapy books open on the table. “How’s the speaking thing coming?” 

“He’s working so hard.” Jay focused on keeping his voice level, trying not to let too much pride come through. “And he really is getting there. Slowly. That’s all these books keep saying - take it slow, take it slow, take it slow. We just… don’t have a ton of time, you know? And I hate that this is somehow the only way they’ll maybe accept him. He shouldn’t have to speak. It’s not fair. And it’s not even guaranteed. All of this could be for nothing!”

“Has he said anything to Fairy Godmother herself yet?” Evie asked. “Maybe if she hears him talking at all, she’ll reconsider that mental illness testing or whatever.” 

“No.” Jay shook his head. “She’s convinced he’s got it. These people will see whatever they choose to see. She’s scared of him. Unless he’s… well… speaking consistently, she’s just going to use it as a way to justify her fear. She’d probably just find something else to use as her reason for taking him away.” 

Evie was quiet for a moment before shaking her head. “That was deep.” 

“Not really.” Jay shrugged. “Just the truth.” 

“I’m sorry that Mal and I have been hiding things from you.” The words fell from her mouth in a rush. “Both of you. At first, we did it to protect all of us. But then… it just kept going.”

“Has Mal claimed you?” Jay looked her up and down for some sort of symbol he’d never noticed before. 

“Oh,” Evie blushed deeply. “Yes. But not with the kind of thing… you can see. If you know what I mean.” 

“Oh, trust me, I know what you mean.” Jay thought for a second before laughing. “Shit, you didn’t tell her about our flirting escapades, right? Cause she really will have my head for those.” 

“It was all in jest,” Evie laughed, waving her hand. “But… yes, I declined to mention _that_ small detail to our favorite fae. She’s got a rather aggressive possessive streak, and I thought you were too cute to have your face messed up. Besides,” she winked conspiratorially. “I knew your heart had already been won by someone who definitely didn’t have blue hair, so she’s got nothing to be concerned about.” 

Frowning, Jay tried to puzzle out what she was implying. “My heart? Ah, Princess, you should know that I’m very careful about who I give that to. Some of my nightly conquests -”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” she cut in. “I’m talking about your _heart._ Not your dick. They’re actually separate functioning parts, believe it or not.” 

“I believe it,” Jay grinned, slipping back into his more seductive tone. He enjoyed flirting with Evie; it was natural for both of them. He didn’t want anything to happen with her. It was just an easy way for them to relate to one another. Although, for a moment, he wondered whether he should stop now that he knew Mal had something special with her. In a much more serious tone, he said, “But really, Eves, I’m happy for you both. Even if you did keep it from us.” 

“I know.” She glanced at the door to the bathroom. “And I meant what I said about not feeling threatened. I’m not blind you know.” 

Jay still hadn’t caught on to the point she still seemed to be stuck with, but he smiled and nodded anyway. 

\-----

Fairy Godmother had a daughter. 

She had probably mentioned it along the way, but Jay would be damned if he truly listened to a word that woman said (unless it involved Carlos’ still undecided fate, course). No, Jay wasn’t introduced to Jane by her mother, but by Carlos. 

_I met someone,_ Carlos signed with a smile. He, Evie, and Jay were walking across campus towards the cafeteria; it was almost lunch time, and they were never ones to be late to a meal. 

“You met someone?” Jay echoed, mostly for Evie’s benefit. He knew the signs were elaborate and sometimes it was hard for her to keep up and remember them all. “When? Where? _Who?”_

A thousand possibilities flitted through his brain before Carlos answered. 

_Her name is Jane,_ he spelled out. _She is Fairy Godmother’s daughter._

Any icy coldness spread through Jay’s body. Fairy Godmother’s daughter just “happened” to meet Carlos somewhere in the brief moments he’d been alone? She would be loyal to her mother. Maybe she would be the tool the Headmistress used to get Carlos tested once and for all. 

“When were you out alone?” Jay asked, narrowing his eyes. “We agreed that you shouldn’t go anywhere without one of us.” 

_It was only for a moment,_ Carlos signed, rolling his eyes. _It wasn’t a big deal. I went to the library to study._

“The library?” Jay blinked, stopping in his tracks. “Carlos, there are like a hundred people in there at all times! How long were you there?” 

“Jay.” Evie put a hand on his arm. “Your voice… it’s loud.” 

Carlos’ jaw was clenched, and Jay immediately softened, biting his lip. “Sorry, ‘Los. I just… I didn’t want anything to happen to you.” 

_I know,_ he signed. Usually that sort of phrase was something Carlos would say out loud now, especially to him; guilt flooded Jay, and he wondered if he’d set him back. Still, Jay hoped Jane would stay out of their way; there was no way he’d be cool with Fairy Godmother’s daughter trying to align herself with Carlos. 

It was as if the universe heard him and laughed. The moment they sat down at their table, greeting Mal who’d beat them to it (her painting class was closer than their final classes of the day), a small girl with brown hair edged over to them. 

“What do you want?” Mal asked bluntly, stopping all conversation. 

“I -” she took a breath. “I wanted to talk to Carlos. About an equation? He was helping me earlier.” 

“He talked to you?” Jay stared, unable to believe it. 

“No.” The girl shook her head. “But he demonstrated on paper, and it was really helpful.” 

“Carlos -” Jay started, but Carlos stood up anyway. 

“Jane,” he said softly, gesturing. Jay stared at the brown-haired girl, almost glaring. He watched as the two of them brought Jane’s binders over to the table next door, their heads bent in quiet contemplation. 

“I don’t like her,” Jay announced to the other two, his teeth gritted. “She seems suspicious. Too quiet.” 

“Really?” Evie looked amused for some infuriating reason. “You don’t like the girl Carlos is talking to? I’m shocked.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Relax,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t jump down my throat; it didn’t do anything to you.” 

A joke made its way to his lips, but he stopped when Mal glared at him. Evie and Jay shared a look, and Evie bit her lip - trying not to laugh. 

“Baby, I’m yours,” she soothed, chuckling softly. “Jay knows that.” 

Mal stiffened some at the words, and Jay figured she still wasn’t used to being affectionate with Evie in public. But after a few moments, she softened under Evie’s touch and relaxed again. 

“She’s got suspicious motives,” Jay growled, glaring daggers at Jane again. “I mean, out of all of us to befriend, she just happens to take a liking to him?” He stood up. “‘Los! Carlos!” 

Carlos glanced over at him, still bent over Jane’s papers. _What?_ he spelled out and Jay even silently, Jay could tell he was irritated. 

“I just remembered,” Jay improvised. “I have another thing from the chapter to try. With your voice. Let’s go.” 

Carlos didn’t move, his face stony and cold. “No,” he said firmly. 

“What?” 

“No.” 

Jane winced, looking very uncomfortable now. “Uh, Carlos, it’s okay. We really can finish later. I think I -” 

But Carlos was shaking his head, gathering her papers up neatly. “Library,” he said, motioning for her to follow. 

“Carlos!” Jay’s mouth dropped open; he couldn’t help it. Carlos had never acted like this - at least not to him. He usually jumped at any opportunity to hang out together. “Hey, de Vil, what the fuck?!” 

Pausing in his retreat, Carlos turned around. _Stop being an ass,_ he signed quickly, his fists clenched. _I can handle myself. Fuck off._

No one needed to be fluent in their signs to understand the last gesture he threw in Jay’s direction. Carlos huffed one last time and then disappeared out the cafetera doors with Jane in tow. 

A red anger rolled over Jay, clouding his vision for half a second. 

“I’m the ass?” he muttered, exhaling sharply. “ _Me?”_

“Jay.” There was Evie again, right beside him. She took his arm and led him away. He let her, mostly because he was still furiously watching the doors Carlos had vanished through to stop her. 

“Be right back,” she promised Mal as they passed their table. 

Evie took him outside, back behind the cafeteria, where there were no people, no Fairy Godmother’s daughters, and no Carlos, either. 

“So?” She arched an eyebrow, her arms folded. “You good?” 

“What do you think?” he seethed, kicking the brick wall beside them. “Eves, what the fuck was that? He ditches me for some girl and then calls _me_ an ass?” 

“You gotta let him branch out,” Evie told him calmly, the breeze ruffling her hair a bit. “And yeah, he might make some mistakes, but it’s not your job to stop that from happening. He’s not a baby, Jay.” 

“I know that!” Jay thought about the fire in Carlos’ eyes; how he’d stared at him with a venom Jay hadn’t seen in a long time. “You don’t get it! I wasn’t trying to hurt him! We don’t know anything about Jane! He shouldn’t spend too much time with her alone, anyway! What if she’s working for her mother? No - stop looking at me like that - we have to consider all the options!” 

Evie gave him a small, amused smile. “Jay… I really doubt that Jane is scheming to get Carlos in trouble. She seems like a shy, sweet kid who just wanted a little help with her homework. And you know what, most other kids won’t even go _near_ us, much less Carlos, so I think…” she paused delicately, as if she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I think he might just be excited that someone is talking to him.” 

Jay hadn’t thought of that. It was true; most kids gave Carlos a very wide berth. The rumors about him being crazy scared pretty much everyone on campus - including some teachers. In Auradon, Carlos was maybe more feared than even Mal. 

“Why him?” Jay sighed deeply. “Why are they all so scared of a possible genetic disease? It’s not even confirmed!” 

Evie sighed. “Because, Jay, they can’t control it. They think they can control you and me and Mal. They’ve got rules to control Mal’s magic and our behavior. But if he has -”

“He doesn’t!” 

“I know,” she amended quickly. “But they think he does. And that scares them because they obviously don’t know how to cure it or stop it. They think it’ll put everything they love in danger.” 

Jay thought about how eagerly Carlos had gone to help Jane, how excited he had looked bent over that paper. “He did look pretty happy.” 

“I think he may be… rebelling.” Evie had the audacity to laugh. “He’s spent so long trying to hide out and fly under the radar that he hasn’t gotten to really experience any of the good things about Auradon.” 

“Where did you learn all this?” Jay scrunched up his nose. 

“Nowhere!” She laughed again, patting his cheek affectionately. “I just… notice things. Like you and Mal but more - feelings-centric. I’m good at reading people’s emotions, Jay, that’s why I’m a good flirt.” 

“Not as good as me, Princess.” 

They smiled at each other for a few moments, Jay’s shoulders dropping finally. 

“Do you think maybe your anger also came from… somewhere else?” Evie asked suddenly, watching him carefully. “Jealousy, perhaps?” 

“Jealous of Jane?” Jay made a face. “Fuck off. She was wearing a dress buttoned up to her neck and might as well have been holding a sign that said ‘Mommy’s Good Little Girl.’ Not my type, Princess. Nowhere even close. I thought you knew me better than that.” 

“No…” She shifted nervously for a moment, and Jay’s gut clenched for a moment - struck with a sudden apprehension. “Jealous of her for hanging out with _him_.” 

“That’s complete bullshit.” Even as he said it, Jay knew he’d answered too quickly. His face felt hot, and he cursed himself. He had nothing to hide! There wasn’t anything like that going on between him and Carlos. 

“So defensive,” Evie laughed softly, shaking her head. “I’m not gonna make you tell me. I’m just saying… he might not be ready for that, yet, Jay. Not at all.”

“You think I don’t know that?” he snapped, his eyes widening even as he said it. It was practically an admission - an admission of feeling he hadn’t even known he had. All those days he’d spent admiring Carlos’ freckles and his laugh, being warmed by his hugs and playful punches. It was the way he smiled when Carlos smiled, how he felt like the world had been ripped from under him when Carlos cried, how he thought he might just follow Carlos de Vil to the ends of the Earth if he had to. 

Oh, _fuck._

Jay turned away, suddenly ashamed to meet Evie’s eyes. He wished she would just disappear, go back inside and go make out with her girlfriend or something. He could feel her eyes boring into his neck, eyes that weren’t just hers. The hairs on his neck prickled and for a wild moment, he expected to hear Jafar’s voice purring in his ear about bastards and fa -

“Jay.” Evie’s voice was quiet. “Are you okay?”

 _No._ He was not okay. 

“You know, I know how you’re feeling.” 

_How the hell could you possibly understand this?_ This was the worst feeling in the world; the heat licking at his gut and his cheeks, was threatening to drown him.

“When I saw Mal for the first time after the banishment,” Evie started, her voice steady and calm. “I wasn’t supposed to be out of the house. I’d snuck down the market because Mom was out of creams, and I didn’t - I didn’t want her to get angry with me again. So I told myself it was perfectly safe and went out.” 

Jay stayed quiet, but he listened nonetheless. Mal definitely hadn’t told him any of this in the library, and he doubted she ever would - at least not without a lot of alcohol. 

“Anyway,” Evie laughed softly. “I tried to buy some creams, but no one would sell them to me. I think they were all afraid of Mal finding out and hurting them. I didn’t want to return home empty handed, so… I tried to steal some. This old man, though… he thought the thief was this girl lurking behind him. He grabbed her and tried to… you know…” She made a gesture with her hands. “I can’t tell you why I did it, but all of a sudden I hit him over the head with a brick. The girl I saved turned out to be Mal. And she was pretty pissed that she owed me.” 

Jay turned slowly, staring at her. Mal actually _had_ told him about that morning, but he’d never known that Evie had been the person who’d saved her. “She told me about that,” he said slowly. “She was pretty pissed, wasn’t she? I thought she just didn’t want to owe someone a debt. Didn’t know it was _you_ that she owed.” 

Evie nodded. “She came to my house, then. Found me. I thought I was going to die.” She smiled softly. “But she just told me that I was allowed to leave once a week if I wanted to - her way of paying back the debt. I thought that was the last time I’d see her, but… we just kept finding each other. And pretty soon we were… hooking up, and then she kissed me, and then… I guess somehow we forgot that we weren’t supposed to catch feelings. And Jay? The day I realized? It was the scariest day of my life. My face wouldn’t stop burning, and I kept looking over my shoulder - terrified that someone could read my mind, and know exactly what I was thinking.” 

Jay understood that; she was giving words to the strange tingling all over his body, describing it in ways he didn’t know how. But… she’d gotten past this. She was with Mal now; they were okay. 

“It gets better?” He hated how weak the words sounded. 

“It gets better,” Evie promised. “You two have a special bond. Just as long as you don’t hold on too tightly, he’ll come back to you. I know it.” 

They stood there for a long while, lost in thought. Jay knew she was probably right; he’d been holding on a little too tightly. But he would make it up to Carlos. 

He had to. 

  
  


\---- 

  
  


“How was your study session?” Jay asked as soon as Carlos walked into their first shared class that afternoon. 

Carlos looked at him and his eyes flicked to the seat beside Jay’s where he usually sat. Jay wondered if he was debating moving desks; shit, he was really mad. 

“Carlos,” Jay tried again, stepping forward. “I shouldn’t have tried to stop you from hanging with Jane. She’s cool, okay? I won’t do it again.” 

Eyeing him, Carlos stayed quiet. They were the only ones in the classroom, as Carlos tended to be early to every class, and Jay had been desperate about apologizing. 

Apologizing. That was new. Auradon was changing him, too, apparently. 

After a few more moments of deliberation, Carlos set his backpack down on the desk beside Jay and shrugged. 

_I’m still mad at you,_ he signed. _This doesn’t change anything._

But Jay smiled a little anyway. If Carlos was sitting next to him, they could still fix this. He could still make it right. His chest was still buzzing with his realization with Evie, and he rubbed it absentmindedly.

“Sore?” Carlos asked quietly. 

“Yeah, something like that.” Jay busied himself with taking out his papers for the class; he wasn’t really planning on taking notes, but it distracted him from the way Carlos’ brown eyes were staring at him. 

“Why?” 

“Always so curious,” Jay laughed awkwardly. 

“Why?” Carlos asked again. _Did someone punch you?_ he signed, looking angry. _Did you fight?_

“Nah, not that kind of fight.” Jay’s struggle was internal - a battle with himself, with his feelings; feelings he shouldn’t have. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, boys,” a voice cut in, and Jay stilled. Fairy Godmother. “I’m subbing your class today, and I didn’t realize anyone else would be in here. Isn’t there still several minutes left of lunch?”

“We got here early,” Jay said shortly. “We finished.” 

She put her things on the desk, humming quietly. The sound made Jay’s skin crawl. “Jay, what have you been learning in this class this week?” the Headmistress asked lightly. 

Jay shrugged, slouching back in his chair, but alert nonetheless. “Don’t know. Some stuff.” 

That was a lie; he knew exactly what they’d been learning. History of Magical Beings was his favorite class. This week, they’d studied all about the dark faes, and how their magic differed from those of pixies and such. Jay had found himself thinking about Mal the entire time, smiling, even, like when he read about her more powerful strand of magic capable of light _and_ dark - despite their species name. “Dark” was a misnomer - a label that didn’t quite encompass all that Mal was inside and out. 

“How specific,” Fairy Godmother simpered. “Carlos, what about you? Do you think _you’ve_ been paying more attention than Jay has?” 

One glance at Carlos told Jay that he was still angry, but his anger was no longer directed at Jay. A low growl emitted from his throat as he stared at the Headmistress. 

“Dark faes,” Carlos said quietly, but firmly, still growling. It was the first words he’d ever spoken to the Headmistress, and Jay’s heart nearly stopped beating in his chest. “Dark faes like Mal. More powerful than fairies. More powerful than anything. More powerful than you.” 

Jay couldn’t tear his eyes away; the earlier heat had returned, but this time, it was pink - warm and light. He resisted the urge to take Carlos into his arms. It was a sight to behold - Carlos with his arms folded and eyes narrowed, glaring at Fairy Godmother. His words - however quiet - hung in the air like bombs. 

“Was that a threat?” Fairy Godmother’s eyebrows shot up, but she seemed more focused on the content of Carlos’ speech than the fact that he’d spoken at all. 

Jay expected Carlos to deny it, to shrug it off or look away, but he didn’t. He kept staring at her, unblinking. It struck Jay that Carlos had come to his defense; all this anger, this defiance was because Fairy Godmother had patronized Jay. The pink heat lingered, filling his head and chest in a dizzying way. 

_How did I not see it before now?_

The rest of the class filed in then, taking their seats and blocking Fairy Godmother from Carlos. The class began and she resumed her position as teacher, but Jay still felt it - the tension. 

It would reach a breaking point soon. This couldn’t go on forever. 

\-----

The breaking point came exactly five hours later. 

Jay spun a ring around and around on his finger, swallowing hard. Finally, he was too much. He had to say _something;_ the thickness between them was unbearable. 

“Hey, uh, Carlos?” 

Carlos was going through his bag looking for something. 

“Carlos?” Jay asked again, frowning. “You good?” 

_I can’t find my pencils,_ Carlos signed, making a face. _I think I left them at the library._

“Well, shit.” Jay knew how much Carlos loved having good pencils here. He’d always been scrounging around for ones on the island and most of them were half broken or without erasers. “You want me to -” He almost offered to go get them, but then he remembered Evie’s advice. 

_Stop clinging to him so tightly._

“It’s okay,” Carlos said out loud, standing up. “I’ll run.” 

Leaning back against his headboard, Jay watched him. His face was determined and bright. He really did look beautiful. 

“Hey, uh, Carlos.” Jay sat forward, licking his lips nervously. “When you get back… I gotta tell you something. Something important.” 

Carlos flushed a bit, his eyes wandering across Jay’s face - calculated, wary, maybe a little hopeful. “Bad?” 

“No, no.” _At least I hope not._ “It’s good. It’s just… different.” Jay tried to reassure him with a smile. “I promise. Just… hurry back.” 

With a nod and a flash of a smile, Carlos darted out the door. 

Sitting there in the empty dorm room, Jay started to wonder if he should have a “back out” plan. What if Carlos reacted badly? What if this was too soon? 

_He might not be ready for that yet,_ Evie had said. And she usually tended to be right about feelings and shit. What if Jay scared him away with his weird taboo confession? 

Carlos had seemed almost… hopeful though. Like against all odds he _wanted_ to hear something. Perhaps that was a good enough sign for Jay to just get it over with. 

His leg bounced some, just like Carlos’ did when he got especially anxious. The clock on the wall ticked mechanically, in tune with his erratic heart beat. Where the hell was Carlos? The library wasn’t that far, and Jay had seen how fast he could run. After another ten minutes, Jay couldn’t sit anymore.

Pacing was something Jay did often. He liked to be up and moving with blood flowing through his veins. He’d always had a hard time sitting still for too long, and now, doing so seemed just about impossible. 

He was just making his seventeenth time across the floor when a hurried knock sounded on their door. Carlos hadn't locked it when he'd left, so Jay found it rather odd that he’d be knocking now. 

“It’s open,” he called, his eyes narrowing. 

It wasn't Carlos. 

Evie burst into the room, her usually impeccably styled hair out of place and messy. She was breathing heavily, too, her hands on her knees like she’d run a long way. 

“Mal -” she gasped, looking up at Jay from her crouched position. “She saw him. Jay they're taking him. We have to go. Now.” 

Adrenaline flooded Jay’s body; every sense was simultaneously too alert and too slow. His nightmares, his wanderings, all his what-ifs, had finally reached a culmination. 

And truly, an inevitable one. How could he have ever thought this would end any differently? Fairy Godmother had had it in for Carlos since the moment she'd discovered he didn't speak; he was _abnormal_ and she was _scared_ and she had the power. 

“Evie.” Jay was ready. Wherever they were taking Carlos, he would follow. He wouldn't let them hurt him. “Where is he? Where did Mal see him?” 

“In the quad.” Evie shook her head, pale. “Jay, where are they going to take him? What if they send him back? We can’t -”

“Hey.” He grabbed her arm firmly; it was absolutely imperative that the rest of their team didn’t lose their shit because _he_ was about to lose his shit. And they had to have some rational brains left once he truly lost it. “Standing here spiraling won’t do us any good. Let’s go.” He moved towards the door, ready to fuck up whoever had _dared_ put their hands on Carlos de Vil. 

“How are you so calm?” 

Jay paused, avoiding eye contact so she couldn’t see just how terrified he might be. “I’m going to hurt them. Anyone who hurts him. They can’t have him.” He moved towards the door again, frustration rising in him when Evie didn’t make a move to follow. “What are you waiting for?” 

Evie bit her lip, and suddenly, Jay realized that there was more. She wasn’t telling him something. 

“Evie…” he warned, his heartbeat pulsing loudly in his ears. “What aren’t you saying?” 

“They know, Jay,” she whispered, shaking her head. “They know he killed Cruella.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was an evil ending i know :) come yell at me on tumblr about it


	7. don't turn your back (you're all i need)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI ALL!   
> i am beyond sorry for the delay with this last chapter. these last couple of months have been,,, a lot to say the least! but :) here is your final chapter! thank you for sticking with this <3 enjoy! 
> 
> same trigger warnings apply

Auradon liked heroes. 

Auradon liked the obedient, the normal, the good. 

Auradon  _ didn't  _ like anything that threatened their way of life; anything that reminded them of their failures; anything they couldn't control. 

Which meant that Auradon  _ hated  _ Carlos de Vil. 

Jay figured breathing was a thing of the past now. Vaguely, he was aware of Mal and Evie talking to him, flitting in and out of his tunnel vision. 

“... infirmary.” He heard Mal say, and his feet automatically began walking in the direction of the marble building. One word. All it took was one word. 

_ This is my fault.  _

He knew if he voiced that, both Evie and Mal would shoot him down; they would try to talk him out of placing the blame on himself. And he couldn't let that happen. This  _ was  _ his fault. They'd all called him paranoid, told him to loosen up, and now, Carlos was gone. And more importantly - far,  _ far, far more importantly -  _ he hadn’t gone looking for Carlos that fateful day until it was too late. Until his mother had made it impossible for him to ever live without her following him. And now, somehow, they had proof that it was him who sent her tumbling over that banister. Maybe they even had images of him dragging Cruella to the living room, too. They thought he was a cold-blooded killer. 

Insane. 

Crazy. 

Out of control. 

“Jay?” Evie was practically running to keep up with him. “ _ Jay _ !” 

He didn't have time to talk. He had to get to Carlos. He had to fix this. 

The infirmary was straight ahead, white and shadowed. Jay kept walking, his eyes fixed on his target. If they were keeping Carlos in there, he would get him out. He didn't know where they'd go, or how they'd keep Fairy Godmother from coming after him again, but Jay could figure that out later. 

“Jay.” Mal grabbed his arm. “You gotta stop. We have to think this through.” 

“Think what through?” He turned, glaring. “They know he pushed his mother. They think he’s crazy! They’ll publish it, and then he’ll never get to stay! It’s over. We have to grab him and bounce. Fuck it. We can live in the woods or something. There’s -” 

“I know.” She met his gaze with equal fierceness. “I’m not talking about that. You didn’t listen to me. I said they probably  _ wouldn't  _ take him to the infirmary when you started walking.” 

“Have you seen that building?” Jay’s pointed to the thing. “It's massive. A whole damn hospital.” 

“I saw them putting him into a van,” she continued, sounding slightly irritated. He knew she didn’t like to repeat herself. “They were taking him somewhere off campus. We’re with you. But you have to listen to me.” 

Jay ran a hand through his hair. “Well, where do you suggest we look, Mal? Last time we went up against these people, you pulled a knife on the doctors! We could do that again. Easily. We just need to find where they’re keeping him.” 

“No.” For some reason, Mal was shaking her head. “That would be the stupidest thing we could possibly do. You wanna go follow them wherever ‘Los is and prove we’re all dangerous and unstable? Fine. But both of your asses will get sent back to the island before you get a clear shot.” 

“He’s gonna get sent back over anyway!” Jay spat, wondering how that hadn’t sunk in for her yet. Maybe it was because she hadn’t seen Cruella’s corpse like he had. She hadn’t seen the aftermath of a bloody fight, a pivotal move, a life or death duel that left Carlos standing and his mother with a sword through her back. 

“Well, as far as we know,” Mal took a deep breath. “If they think we’re coming, they might rush things along. Stealth, Jay. We need to go about this rationally.” 

“We were good,” Jay said, trying not to let his voice break. He had no idea where Carlos was being kept; he had no idea how to get him back. “He worked so hard. He was speaking, Mal. He spoke to Fairy Godmother. And it still wasn’t enough. They’re gonna blame his mother’s death on him. It was self defense. Just self defense. What more can we possibly do to prove it to them?” 

“We can get Ben,” Evie spoke up at last. She had always been the diplomatic one, and privately, Jay had always figured she’d make a pretty good ruler. Out of the four of them, Evie was definitely the best at handling Auradon citizens and students. 

“No.” Mal said it quickly and firmly; she hated asking for help, and Jay didn’t blame her. He didn’t want to get the King involved, either. They saw him around school and sometimes he would check on them after class, but they didn’t need his help. They’d survived years on their own, and one proclamation didn’t change the lives they’d spent on that rocky island prison. 

“Mal,” Evie groaned. “Please not you, too. Ben is our best chance. He’s agreed with us before. He might do it again. Besides, he’s the only one with enough influence to keep this from getting out of control.” 

“Or he could sign the bill and get us  _ all  _ sent back,” Mal argued. “He’s got too much power. We can’t risk that.” 

“His power,” the princess pressed, turning to face Mal with that determined stance of hers, “Is exactly what’s gonna save Carlos. I don’t trust Ben, necessarily, but he’s established a pattern of choosing our side over theirs. Like Jay said - it was self defense. If they have tapes, he’ll believe us! And he doesn’t think Carlos is crazy!” 

“Well,” Jay scratched the back of his neck. “Carlos might’ve threatened Fairy Godmother, too. Just a little. If that… complicates things.” 

He  _ knew  _ that was why she’d finally gone after the boy. If Carlos hadn’t tried to fucking defend him, maybe they’d still be okay. There was no way they’d only just discovered those tapes. Fairy Godmother had been holding onto those just  _ waiting  _ for the perfect excuse to whip them out. 

“ _ Fuck.”  _ Mal groaned loudly. “Jay, how could you not tell us that? He doesn’t stand a chance at staying here now.” 

“He didn’t stand a chance before. And it wasn’t unprompted. He never does anything unprompted.” Jay’s face began to burn for the hundredth time that week. Really, the whole feelings thing was exhausting. “He did it to defend me. She was sort of taking shots at my intelligence or whatever, and ‘Los didn’t like that. He told her that you, Mal, are more powerful than she is.” 

Mal’s mouth stayed open for a moment and then closed abruptly, her eyes getting a bit glassy. “He said that?”

“Yeah.” 

The three of them were quiet, standing in the chilly night air. 

“I still think we should go to Ben,” Evie sighed finally. “We can always try and skew it, right? Jay, you said Fairy Godmother was taking shots at you? We can just play up that angle - for both the tapes and the - uh - threatening. Carlos doesn’t  _ look  _ scary, thank god, so… hopefully we’ve still got emotional appeal. And Ben might know where they took him. It would save us the time of searching all over the kingdom.” 

“Fine.” Jay just wanted Carlos back and safe; whatever it took. Even if it meant getting outside help. Even if it meant running.

Mal wasn’t so easy to sway, though. Only after ten minutes and several pleading stares from Evie did she finally grunt her reluctant approval. 

So instead of heading towards the darkened infirmary, Jay found himself following Evie towards Ben. Wherever he might be. 

\-----

As it turned out, the future king of Auradon was sitting in his dormitory. It was on the farthest wing of the male dormitories and almost double the size of the other rooms - even though he didn’t seem to have a roommate. 

_ Oh, to be king,  _ Jay thought bitterly. He himself had no interest in being a royal, but he knew his dad had big dreams for him. It would’ve been nice to make him a little bit proud with a room like this. 

When they knocked, Ben opened up with a smile almost immediately. He had a pencil tucked behind his ear, and Jay wondered if he’d been doing paperwork. Ben always seemed to be doing paperwork. 

“Hi, guys.” He seemed genuinely happy to see them, and Jay figured he might be the only one in Auradon who would so gladly open up a door to a bunch of villain kids. “Come on in.” 

They did, stepping awkwardly into the expansive dorm with its fireplace and four poster bed. Jay even let himself stare in disbelief at the gym equipment in the corner before wiping his face clean of any jealousy. Ben, it seemed, got a palace away from his palace. 

Despite their efforts, Ben seemed to notice their expressions. “I know, it’s a bit much,” he admitted. “But the school insisted. They have a thing for status here. A bunch of the ‘upper-tier’ royal kids have bigger rooms and better accommodations.”

“Upper-tier royals” sounded a lot like “upper-tier villains” - self-centered and entitled. Jay marveled at the similarities; they’d just ended up on the losing side of things, but truly, the winners were no better. Their kids didn’t need bigger rooms or gym equipment. They had luxury beyond measure, and for what? 

Mal didn’t waste time discussing room inequality. “You guys took Carlos.” She didn’t look friendly in the slightest, all bristled and stiff. 

Evie placed a calming hand on her arm, smiling apologetically at Ben. “What my - what Mal means is that Fairy Godmother is taking Carlos to be tested. For Cruella’s genetic disorders or something. I’m not sure. But he doesn’t want to go, and she’s making him.” 

Ben’s brow furrowed. “Well, perhaps she’s just trying to protect Auradon. Are you guys certain he didn’t inherit it?” 

“See?” Mal turned to go. “Useless. I told you this was a waste of time. We can track them ourselves.” 

“Wait, Mal!” Ben stepped forward. “I didn’t - I’m sorry, it was just a question. I guess you guys are pretty sure.” 

“He’s not crazy.” Jay knew he sounded like a broken record every time he said it, but until people started  _ listening  _ he didn’t care. “He’s talking now. He talked to her! She just won’t listen!” 

“Okay, okay.” Ben took a deep breath. “So, Carlos can talk? Then what is she so concerned about?”

“He’s different. And you all are -” Mal started to say, but Evie elbowed her in the ribs. 

“We really need help.” Evie was the only one of them that would ever say that out loud. Not because it was true - Evie was just as capable as the rest of them - but because it would pull on Ben’s heartstrings. Her diplomatic skills really were impressive. “They have some sort of footage - pictures, videos - from the island. They think he murdered Cruella, but he didn’t. It wasn’t a murder. And we don’t know where they took him, but Mal saw Carlos struggling to get away. Please, we’re just worried about our friend.” 

Her pleas would’ve melted even the coldest villain’s heart, and it definitely did a number on the blonde Prince of Auradon. “Alright,” he nodded. “I’ll make some calls. Find out where they took him. And then we can straighten this whole thing out. I’m sure there was just some misunderstanding.” 

Jay very much disagreed, but he didn’t voice it. They had their way in now. If Ben could find Carlos, that was good enough for him; he didn’t need to understand everything - not like they did. 

As Ben picked up the phone and began to dial different numbers, Jay returned to his pacing. 

_ Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and -  _

“Jay?” Evie whispered. 

He paused for a moment. “Yeah?” 

“Mal told me he said your name,” she said, her voice still hushed. “They were holding her back while they pushed him into a white car. You and I both know he tends to shut down in high stress situations, you know? Go silent and everything. But he didn’t. He was yelling your name. I just… thought you’d like to know.” 

Jay’s whole body went cold. Swallowing hard, he tried to find his own voice and failed for a few moments. “Oh, God.” Carlos had yelled his name; his final defense. His final battle cry as he desperately tried to break free. “He wasn’t calling for help, you know,” Jay told her in a low voice. “He was using it… as motivation, I think. He spoke to Fairy Godmother only after she was a bitch to me.” 

“Are you saying he finds strength in you?” Evie smiled a little, despite the dire circumstances. “How poetic. I might almost think he loves you.” 

The “L” word. Jay’s gut and heart swooped, and he almost stumbled. Carlos wasn’t ready for that; he  _ himself _ wasn’t ready for that. 

“What?” Mal came closer, squinting at both of them. “What are you talking about? No secrets anymore, remember?” 

“After your secret?” Jay pointed at Evie. “I get as many secrets as I damn well like.” 

“Whatever.” Mal laced her fingers into Evie’s, squeezing, as if to reassure herself that the girl was still there.

“We’ll get Carlos back, you know,” Evie promised, looking at Jay with a knowing look in her eye. “We’ve got Ben looking for him right now, and he’s like… the king of the fucking world.”

Mal rolled her eyes and added “not yet,” but Jay could tell she was relieved to finally be making some progress - however slow. 

“Guys?” Ben said suddenly, holding the phone away from his face. “I found him.” 

Jay’s whole body thrummed and he straightened up, listening. “Where?” 

“Auradon City’s Hospital for, uh,” Ben looked a bit uncomfortable. “Behavioral Health.” 

“Mmmm, sounds promising,” Mal snarled, Evie’s grip tightening on her hand to keep her from storming over. “Does it have white padded walls? Are they locking him up? It’s a fucking asylum, isn’t it? For crazy people?” 

“It’s our physicaic hospital,” Ben explained tentatively. “It’s - it’s one of the best in the kingdom. I’m sure -”

“Take us there.” Jay wasn’t going to stand around and wait anymore. They knew where Carlos was, and now, every second they spent arguing was one second they could be using to save him. 

“Jay’s right.” Evie began to pull her girlfriend towards the door. “Come on, M. Save it for the drive.” 

At the sound of the nickname, Mal reluctantly allowed Evie to drag her outside. Jay glanced over his shoulder one last time at Ben who was trailing behind them. 

“Can you get him back?” It wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t hissed. It was, in every sense, just a question. And one that Jay desperately needed the answer to. 

“Yes, I think so.” 

If only Jay knew whether Crown Princes made habits of telling lies. 

\-----

If the infirmary had been intimidating, The Auradon City Hospital for Behavioral Health was nothing short of terrifying. It wasn’t like the ominous buildings on the island - dark and decrepit and overgrown, but somehow, the crisp white walls and sterile windows elicited the same chills on the back of his neck. 

Ben insisted on taking the royal limousine, and Jay was in too much of a hurry to argue, so they slid up to the building in the long black car looking every bit the odd jumble of a procession. 

“It’s… very clean,” Evie observed, staring out the windows. 

Jay glanced over at the candy racks lining the walls on the interior of the limousine, remembered Carlos’ reaction on the trip over. 

_ Think the food is safe?  _ he’d signed, staring distrustfully at the brightly colored sweets. The more flashy the food, the more likely it was bait for a trap; any island kid knew that. Except they’d been so focused on the bait that they hadn’t spent enough time worried about the trap itself. 

“We can’t storm the place.” Mal sounded almost disappointed, and her hands flitted to her belt where her knife usually rested. “There’s only one entrance. Too dangerous. No exit strategies.”  __

Ben - who had just signaled the driver to put the car in park - looked at Mal in disbelief. “You mean - you’re not gonna go in and take out your knives?” 

“No.” Mal shook her head. “Why do you think we needed you? Evie was right - you’re our power move - not our blades. Your people don’t understand our knives and weapons. But Auradon does understand power and status. As soon as I looked at your dorm room, I knew. If you back us, they’ll at least listen. Maybe not comply, yet. But listen.” 

Jay knew Mal wanted to fight. He could feel it. And part of him knew that if Mal gave even the slightest signal to charge, he would. But Auradon had good things. There was fresh food and hot showers. Beds with actual blankets and real, soft mattresses. If they could find some way to get Carlos cleared and whatever evidence they had proving that Carlos killed his mother destroyed, they might have a shot at a decent life. And he would cling to that until all the bridges had been burned. 

Jay pushed open the door, already tired of waiting around. “Let’s go.” He ushered the others out of the car, watching them hurry up the steps before bounding after them. He stared up at the building as he ran, the chilling name etched into the stone in neat, straight letters.

_ Carlos is in there,  _ his brain chanted.  _ Carlos is in there. Carlos is in there.  _

“What’s our attack plan?” Mal asked when he reached the top. 

Jay thought for a moment, his eyes drifting over to Ben. Mal had called him their power move. “We send Ben in first.” The words physically hurt him; he wanted nothing more than to push open those doors and demand they hand over Carlos. “He asks for information. Where they’re holding him. What they’re doing to him. And if he’s got clearance to get him out. If not… well… we’re storming, and I don’t give a shit. To hell with exit strategies.” 

Ben nodded and adjusted his crown. “They might not give me anything,” he warned. 

“Aren’t you gonna be king?” Evie asked, her arms folded. 

“Yeah,” Ben raised his eyebrows pointedly. “ _ Gonna.  _ I’m not king, yet. And Fairy Godmother and my father are still superior to me as far as influence and power goes. They might always be superior, to be honest. I don’t think my dad trusts me completely to rule on my own. He’s stalled on my coronation for a long time.” 

Jay’s heart twinged for a moment; he’d never expected to have something in common with the future King of Auradon. 

“I’ll do my best, though.” Ben smiled at them, and then slipped through the heavy doors. 

Jay turned and stared out at the city block, rubbing his face. “Carlos is in there,” he told Mal and Evie. “He’s so fucking close. If this were just like the island… and we could fight the regular way to win what’s ours back…” 

“Well,” Mal stood beside him. “It’s not the island. And we have to find a different way in. But Jay?” She grabbed his chin gently, turning his face to stare into her eyes. “Island or no island, we will win back what’s ours. He’s  _ ours.”  _

Ben was gone for a long time. Cars whoosed down the streets, their headlights glowing red and white in the dark. People passed on the sidewalk below, talking and laughing. He wondered for a moment what it would’ve been like to grow up in this kingdom; to have parents who worked in the city and picked him up from school on Friday nights to go to fancy dinners like many of the students at Auradon Prep. Then, he remembered Ben’s words and sighed. Things probably wouldn’t be any different; at least not for him. Auradon or not, nothing he ever did would be good enough for Jafar. 

The doors opened, and Jay turned around so fast he nearly fell. It was Ben, and he didn’t look pleased. 

“So, we storm?” Mal asked, probably only half joking. “Did you get anything at all? 

“They wouldn’t give me much,” Ben said. “Just that he’s here. And that Fairy Godmother wasn’t the only one listed as his guardian.”

“Guardian?” Jay furrowed his brow. Mal was Carlos’ guardian. He was Carlos’ guardian. Evie was Carlos’ guardian. And Carlos was theirs. 

“Yeah,” Ben explained. “In Auradon, all minors must have someone who can pay the hospital bills and sign off on important decisions. Like risky surgeries and things like that. Someone who’s legally an adult.” 

“Who did they list?” Even as Jay asked it, he thought he already knew the answer. 

“The King of Auradon.” 

The King of Auradon. The  _ True  _ King of Auradon. Jay’s blood boiled. “This was never a rehabilitation program, was it?” 

“No, no, it was!” Ben looked upset now. “It was my idea. I pushed so hard for it. You guys were supposed to be treated with respect and kindness, I swear! But Dad was always a bit… well, against it. He remembers the darker days when villains - uh your parents, I guess - were free, and he didn’t want to risk it happening again.” 

“Children are starving under that barrier,” Evie said quietly. “Your father might’ve thought he was getting rid of the problem, but in reality, he only… moved it. And stuck us with it. There’s a reason we’ve all fought so hard to convince everyone that Carlos is nothing like Cruella. She wasn’t… a good mother.” Evie sounded like she was choosing her words carefully, and Jay was glad she didn’t want to tell Carlos’ story for him. He deserved that chance. Not that Ben was likely to understand anyway. 

“Oh.” Ben looked at all of them. “And your parents?” 

“Let’s just say,” Evie smiled sadly. “That there’s a reason we wanted to come over here instead of staying with them. If they send Carlos back… well, even though Cruella’s dead, she still has enemies. Maybe even her minions. Not to mention, our parents know he’s under Mal’s protection. Alone, he could be used as a perfect pawn to control any one of us. Let’s just say, he wouldn’t exactly be welcomed back with open arms.” 

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Ben swallowed hard. “How did… when did… Cruella… die?”

“Jay?” Evie glanced over at him, and he got the message. It wouldn’t hurt to fill Ben in a little bit - it might even help them if they could really convince him that Carlos had been acting out of self defense. 

“Carlos had gone back to his mother,” Jay sighed. “After a… bad day. And I should’ve gone looking for him right away, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to seem attached. By the time I finally did, it was too late. His mother had cornered him at the top of the stairs - near the banister - and he did what any kid does when they’re afraid. He pushed and kicked and Cruella… ended up on the wrong side of the railing.” 

Ben’s eyes were wide, and Jay marveled at how little it took to terrify him. How could someone be ruler over an entire realm and yet be so naive about the world he was ruling? Jay had even left out the gorey details.

“But…” Ben shook his head. “His mother wouldn’t have… killed him, would she?” 

This time, it was Evie who answered. “Yes. Cruella was a bad person, Ben. Is it so hard to believe she would want to harm her son?” She sighed, glancing down at the ground for a moment. Her eyes got a faraway look in them. “He tried to leave. And he did. He ran away from her. We used to talk about it sometimes - running away together. But he’s always been braver than me. He actually got up the courage to do it, and when he asked me to come, I - I said no. I couldn’t leave my mother. I couldn’t do it.” 

“Carlos talks to you guys.” Ben messed with his crown. “Why is that?” 

“He trusts us, I think.” The corner of Evie’s mouth tugged, like she wanted to smile. “Jay, I told you that I didn’t know why he talked to me, but I… I do now. Maybe I always have - I don’t know. I gave him food. And a pillow. And I don’t think anyone else had ever given him anything. So, he thanked me and… talked to me… and started bringing me things in return. You know? Like an arrangement. Only… friendlier.” 

The tension in Jay’s shoulders eased a bit - if only for a moment. Evie had given Carlos a pillow. She’d been looking out for him all along, and in return, he’d looked out for her. They’d had their own mini alliance long before he and Mal had adopted him. “That’s why he called you a friend,” Jay nodded, remembering the day Carlos had brought him a half-dead Evie. 

“Yeah.” She sounded almost… tearful, and the street lights cast a warm glow on her face. 

“You didn’t show up that morning,” Mal said in a quiet voice. “You never missed our usual… uh… meetings.”

“Still can’t believe you were fucking each other all that time and neither of you bothered to tell me,” Jay grumbled, shaking his head.

Mal flipped him off, still looking over at her girlfriend. “I knew you were in trouble, E. I just didn’t expect to see you at my hideout. I thought you’d told them everything. I thought you’d turned on me.” 

Evie put an arm around Mal’s shoulder. “Never.” 

“You two - are - together?” Ben asked, and Jay started - he’d almost forgotten that he was standing right there. Jay clenched his fist, ready to defend his girls, but Ben just smiled a little. “That’s cool.” 

For half a second, Jay forgot why they were all there. They could’ve been a group of Auradon teenagers talking about hookups and dating and girlfriends or whatever else they used to fill their time. But the bliss didn’t last long. 

Glancing up at the hospital again, Jay was struck with how small they all seemed in comparison. He hated feeling helpless, despised the slow heaviness that had settled in his chest. “They don’t know us,” he sighed. “They don’t know what we lived with or how we survived. And they wouldn’t listen even if we told them.” 

“If I were just… king.” Ben looked at the ground. “I could actually  _ do  _ something. I could actually help. I could pardon Carlos or… call it self-defense. I’d be one of the guardians listed on that sheet. I could be useful.” 

“Well, when are you allowed to be crowned?” Evie knew her fair share of royal customs and ceremonies. “I mean, your father was elected, wasn’t he? Is there a term limit? Or -”

“Technically, I could be crowned at any time,” Ben shrugged. “The paperwork is done, and I’m of age. But my parents want to plan this big party and invite half the kingdom and that takes a while to plan, you know? Besides, Fairy Godmother is the one that’s supposed to crown me, since she’s a fae and all -” 

“A fae?” Evie’s head tilted. “Why a fae?” 

“Oh,” Ben threw his hands up halfheartedly. “This kingdom has a lot of stupid rules. But my father wanted to pay tribute, I guess, to the enchantress who cursed him to ‘teach him a lesson, and help him find love.’ She was a fae, actually, and he said only a - oh, how is it written?” He laughed a little, shaking his head. “I had to have a special tutor to learn all the charters and rules of our kingdom. Let’s see - it says ‘only a magic-practicing fae may crown the next ruler of Auradon’. I think. It’s been awhile since I read all those founding documents.” 

As he spoke, Mal’s eyes glowed brighter. Now, they were a piercing green - glowing with their own magical light. “Do you want to be king, Ben?” She raised her hand, green smoke spiraling out into the night. 

He stared at her, his eyes following the magic up… up… up… 

Jay suddenly understood what she was implying. “Mal, can you do that? Make him king, I mean?” 

“Yes.” Mal raised an eyebrow. “I’m a fae, aren’t I? But he has to make that choice. I haven’t taken it upon myself to  _ scour  _ the literary masterpieces that are the Auradon Founding Charters, but I do believe the future king should be a wanting participant in a crowning ceremony.” 

Ben took a step back, his gaze moving from Mal’s face, to Evie’s face, to Jay’s face, and back again. He didn’t seem… scared - just thoughtful. And well, maybe a  _ little  _ scared. “You can do that? Right here? Just… crown me?” 

“We won’t force you,” Evie said quickly. “This is your choice, Ben, and it’s a big one. We’ll find another way to get Carlos back. Trust me.” 

“But I could help.” Ben’s fingers fidgeted, reminding Jay of Carlos’ movements when he got particularly anxious. “I could do something useful for once. I could help get Carlos away from the people who want to send him back to his mother who… is a bad person?” He flicked his eyes between their faces, as if looking for confirmation. 

“Yes.” Mal gave it to him. “You could. But it seems your father is a pretty big proponent of Mission Ship Carlos Back to The Island. Sure you wanna face that head on?” 

“Just because he’s a hero doesn’t mean he’s good,” Ben said quietly, then gasped as he realized what he’d said. “I mean - he’s a good dad! He’s always been… well, good to me. But he’s so Old World. Everything is either good or bad and no in-between. He wanted to cut the barges off last month, did I tell you that? Mom convinced him otherwise, but… he’s sworn away anything to do with villains.” 

“Including us.” Mal’s fingers were still smoking, but it didn’t seem threatening. She watched the green smoke and sighed, almost contentedly. 

Jay was getting antsy again. He wanted Ben to make a decision. Carlos was just beyond those doors, and Jay had been so good; so patient. But he only had so much self control in him, and the “storming and fighting” option looked better by the minute. 

“I -” Ben glanced at them, his hands still messing with the goddamn crown on his head. Finally, he took it off and handed it to Mal. “Do it. I wish to be king. I want to make a difference.” 

Mal didn’t smile or look especially pleased one way or the other, but Jay knew her better than that. They were going to get Carlos back; this boy so desperate to make a difference and escape his father’s shadow had proved to be the most useful pawn they’d ever acquired. 

_ No,  _ he corrected himself.  _ Not a tool. He’s a person. Like us.  _

With the crown in her hands, Mal’s magic grew brighter. She studied it. “I’ve never done this before,” she commented, holding it high. “Is there anything specific I’m supposed to say?”

Ben smiled a little. “I don’t know. I’ve never done this before, either.” 

“Well, obviously,” she grumbled a little, looking a little surprised at his joking. Most strangers - or almost strangers - didn’t really joke with her. He kneeled in front of her, and she stared for a moment before beginning to place the crown on his head again. The magic was spilling thicker from her fingers now. 

Jay watched in awe as it happened. Mal had always been simply  _ Mal  _ to him. Sure, most everyone on the island saw her as powerful and scary, but he’d never seen her as anything other than his ally, his friend, his confidant - which he supposed was its own sort of scary since they weren’t supposed to be any of that at all. But now, with her magic and her glowing eyes, Mal looked powerful, impenetrable - like someone who’d found herself. 

“I, Maleficent Moors of the faes,” she began, the crown hovering over Ben’s hair. “Hereby crown you King -” she paused, looking at him for confirmation of his full name. 

“Benjamin,” he said quickly. 

“Benjamin,” Mal repeated. “I crown you King Benjamin of the United States of Auradon with all the powers and graces it entails.” 

The magic thickened, swirling around Ben and Mal. When it cleared, Ben was no longer kneeling in front of Mal. He seemed… taller, but Jay thought he might be projecting. The crown on his head had transformed, too - it was heavier, more substantial - and matched the blue and gold suit Mal’s smoke had created for him.

“I think it worked,” Evie breathed, her eyes wide

Mal’s own eyes had stopped glowing, and she seemed a little drained; Evie put an arm around her for support and whispered something Jay couldn’t hear. 

“Thank you.” Jay gave Ben a little nod. “Uh, most people wouldn’t have done something like that for… us.” 

“Well,” Ben smiled. “I’m not most people. I’m the king.” Then he grimaced. “Sorry. That was supposed to be a joke.”

Jay nodded, turning back to the hospital doors. “Now we get Carlos back?” 

“Yes.” Ben marched forward and opened the doors for the second time, holding them. “And this time, you’re coming. All of you.” 

They filed into the foyer of the hospital. It was mostly empty, the late hour chasing most everyone back into their homes or their beds. Jay had to remind himself, too, that this wasn’t a normal hospital; it was a hospital for  _ mental patients -  _ for crazy people. 

There were four people crowded around the hospital desk; one doctor dressed in white slacks, a man who must’ve been the registrar - his nameplate glinted against his polo - and Fairy Godmother. The fourth man was tall and imposing, his deep voice audible even from where Jay was standing. 

Ben watched the group for a moment before clearing his throat. The party turned, their faces a mixture of irritation and surprise. 

“Son,” the tall man said, his words echoing off the clean walls. “I told you to return to the school. This isn’t your battle.” 

King Adam, Jay realized. The resemblance wasn’t strong, but it was there. This was Ben’s father. 

“You didn’t tell us your father was actually going to be here,” Evie whispered. It was one thing to stand up to his father indirectly, but Ben was ready to take him on personally. Jay wondered when Ben would stop surprising him. 

“Uh, actually it is.” Ben pushed his shoulders back. “As the King of Auradon, and one of Carlos de Vil’s listed guardians, I demand you release the young patient you’re holding against his will - a patient who deserves respect and care the same as our other citizens in Auradon.” 

“The King?” His father eyed him, as if trying to decide whether Ben was serious or joking. “Son, please don’t make get angry -”

“I crowned him.” Mal’s voice was low - not quite menacing, but a reminder that she could be. “Your son is now the King, and he wishes you to release the boy you’re holding prisoner for crimes he did not commit.” 

“You did what?” Adam took a step forward, finally taking in the new suit and crown. “ _ How dare you!  _ Manipulating him to do your bidding just like your mother -” 

“Dad!” Ben cut in, no longer tentative. “She is not Maleficent! And she didn’t force me. I chose it. I asked her to do it.” 

Fairy Godmother looked aghast, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. “Oh - oh, dear one, how could you? You let a dark fae crown you? Who  _ knows  _ what that means for our realm? For your leadership?” 

“It means,” Ben said, “that I won’t forget the children you sentenced to a life they didn’t deserve. Do you know that the kids are starving over there? They run from their parents if they’re brave enough, but not all of them get so lucky.” He glanced at Evie, nodding some. “Some of them have to stay. And endure.” 

“Ben,” Adam held up his hands like he was taming some sort of wild animal. “Sometimes we all must make sacrifices for the good of the world. That’s why you’re not ready to be king, yet. And these children aren’t the innocent victims they play; they steal and threaten and hurt each other.” 

“To survive!” Ben shook his head. “It’s not a sacrifice. Shoving them away only relocates the problem. And I won’t let you send Carlos back. He didn’t murder Cruella. She was… hurting him. It was self defense - an accident! The island is dangerous. I don’t care if Carlos has her illness or not; he’s not returning to the island. My word stands.” 

“The question isn’t  _ if  _ he has inherited Cruella’s madness,” the doctor broke in at last. “He’s showing increased signs of anxiety and paranoia and hasn’t said a coherent thing since we arrived.” 

“Maybe because you asswads snatched him up,” Jay shouted, unable to help himself. “And took him away and locked him in a room without anyone or -” 

“Young man,” the doctor broke in. “Keep your voice down or we will have to remove you from the premises. The patient has been hiding in the corner of the room since we brought him here. We practically had to drag him up onto the table for examination, and even then it was -” 

“ _ Let him go. _ ” Jay stepped forward angrily, a tightness stretching a breaking point in his chest. “You’re just gonna send him back anyway - no matter what the tests say. Do us all a favor and cut the bullshit.”

“Jay, Jay,” Ben tried to put a calming hand on his shoulder, but Jay shook it off. He wanted Carlos back, and he wanted him back now. 

“That boy is the smartest fucking kid you’ve ever met.” Jay didn’t care that his voice echoed off the smooth walls. Let them try to remove him. He’d fight for the rest of his life if it meant Carlos was away from these people. “He tried so hard. He worked night and day to speak, to work through the blocks. I didn’t need him to talk - you did! You all needed him to talk because you just couldn’t accept that someone could be different and still not dangerous. Carlos de Vil is nothing like Cruella and fuck you all for even thinking so. I love him just the way he is - whether he ever talks again or not.” 

His breath gone, Jay panted for a moment, waiting for them to surge forward and kick him out. 

Suddenly, he heard it: Carlos’ voice. It was faint - but he  _ knew  _ he hadn’t imagined it. Jay spun in a circle, looking for the source. His eyes fell on a vent in the wall. Slowly, he approached it, running his hands along the edge. “Where does this go?” He asked quietly. After a few moments, he tried again _. “Where does this vent go?”  _

“We - we don’t know.” The doctor seemed a little startled after Jay’s outburst, and Jay was  _ glad.  _

“You have live feeds into all the rooms, right?” Jay snarled, pointing to the computer. “You people would want eyes on your ‘dangerous’ patients at all times. Show me.”

“That’s not information privy to the -” 

“You said he keeps hiding in the corner of his room, right?” Jay was close to shouting again. “I think I know why. Just bring it up for a second.” 

Ben stepped forward. “As his guardian, I would also like to see the footage.” 

That did the trick. At Ben’s request, the registrar began to type into the computer, and Jay motioned for Mal, Evie, and Ben to follow him around the back of the desk. Adam tried to step into their path, but Ben shrugged him off.

The footage on the monitor was grainy, but Jay could make out a white room. It wasn’t very large, but that didn’t matter much. Nothing mattered by the figure huddled in the corner of the room.

“Carlos.” Evie reached towards the screen like she could reach him through the monitor. 

Jay peered closer, his eyes narrowing. It wasn’t Carlos’ anxious curl-up; he wasn’t fidgeting with his hands or signing anything. He was sitting oddly calm and still next to the vent in the room. 

“That vent -” Jay pointed across the room, “leads up into ‘Los’ room. He’s listening. He’s listening to everything. I told you he wasn’t crazy.” 

“Sir, unfortunately we have no way to verify this claim without -”

“Carlos?” Jay raised his voice again, still watching the screen. “I know you can hear me! And I’m gonna get you out of there, I swear! Can you find the camera? In your room?” 

There was a moment delay and then - Carlos on the screen sat up and looked around, his face turning left and right before locating it. Jay’s breath hitched; it was like Carlos was staring right at him. 

“Hey.” Jay was still speaking loudly, just to make sure his voice carried through the vent. “I can see you. Are you okay?” 

_ Better,  _ Carlos signed.  _ You guys are here.  _

“Yeah.” Jay looked at Mal and Evie. “We’re here.” 

_ They want to ship me back,  _ Carlos signed. The monitor was slow and a bit jumpy, and Jay had to work hard to make out the signs.  _ I heard them talking.  _

“I know.” Jay did know. “But we won’t let them, okay?” 

The doctor was watching their exchange closely. “Adam, you told me the boy was incapable of communicating with others.” 

“He is!” Adam pointed to the screen. “All that nonsense? That’s not communicating. There’s no standard sign language to confirm that what he’s saying is anything coherent. It doesn’t match any -”

“He’s communicating,” the doctor said steadily. “They’re talking to him.” He turned to Jay. “How long have you been signing to each other like this?”

“For years.” Jay pictured the little signs they’d drawn on that white wall in the hideout. “We used to write new signs on the wall with the little hand motions. It was… rocky at first, but it’s sort of second nature now. And he’s not like his mother. He’s completely lucid; he knows what he’s saying.” 

Adam’s jaw was set as he listened. “This boy,” he said, stepped forward, “is a product of the island’s madness. Of Cruella’s madness. We simply cannot risk the lives -” 

“I demand you release Carlos de Vil,” Ben interrupted. “Unless there are clear signs of danger, which there aren’t. My father is no longer the current King of Auradon, therefore he is no longer one of the guardians.” 

“Uh -” the doctor seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I suppose, we can send for the boy, even if it doesn’t seem to be a  _ popular decision. _ ” 

“That won’t be necessary.” Evie pointed to the doorway. 

Jay slowly turned to follow her finger and saw him standing there, small but steady in the doorway. 

“Carlos?” Jay frowned. “How -” 

In response to his unasked question, Carlos held up a small contraption. 

“That’s your disruptor,” Jay realized, his eyebrows shooting up. “Didn’t they search you? How did you manage to hold onto that?” 

Biting his lip, Carlos shrugged - his cheeks flushing some.  _ I put up a fight,  _ he signed.  _ And I didn’t spend all those years on the island and not know how to properly conceal something valuable.  _

“The locks on the doors… ” Evie took a step towards him. “They’re electromagnetic, right? Only accessible from the outside unless you’ve got some way of accessing the paneling between the walls on the inside?” She blushed, fidgeting with her skirt. “I - uh - may have done some research on this place once Ben figured out Carlos was here. In case we had to… break in.” 

“That’s my girl,” Mal muttered under her breath, nodding. A hint of pride flashed across her face. 

“Carlos, why didn’t you fuck with the locks when they first brought you here?” Jay was still frowning. If Carlos had been able to get out at any time, then all their panic had been for nothing. He’d done a lot of shouting and a lot of panicking for absolutely no reason. 

_ No point until now,  _ Carlos signed.  _ They would’ve just put me back. But everyone was distracted down here with you guys, and I could get a good shot at finding the access point on the wall. I wanted to leave on my own terms. Only fair. I don’t need saving.  _

“Carlos.” Jay was rushing forward, but he wasn’t alone. Mal and Evie had read his mind or his actions or something because they were rushing, too. They stopped short, just before they reached him, and the corner of Jay’s mouth quirked up as he signed their old request for a hug. 

Carlos didn’t wait to sign back - only closed the gap between them all and let himself be enveloped by the gentle arms of their gang.  _ His  _ gang. 

“You know,” Jay laughed a little. “You should’ve told me you were bringing that thing around with you these days. Would’ve made me feel a lot better.” 

Meeting his gaze, Carlos flushed a little.  _ After I threatened her,  _ he jerked his head towards Fairy Godmother - who looked aghast.  _ I figured it was only a matter of time before they tried to lock me up.  _

“Fucking genius.” Jay stepped to the side, allowing Mal to do her routine check-for-damages. 

When she was finished, she cupped his face gently. “I crowned a fucking King for you,” she said fiercly. “Don’t you ever think I wouldn’t do anything to keep you safe.” 

Carlos laid a gentle kiss to her forehead, nodding.  _ I know. _

“He says I know,” Jay translated, and Mal rolled her eyes. 

“Thanks, asshat,” she grumbled. “Believe it or not, I could understand that one on my own. It’s a pretty simple sign.” 

“Carlos.” It was Evie’s turn to look him up and down, her cheeks and eyes bright. 

He smiled at her and they shared some mutual understanding. Sometimes Jay marveled at how easily Evie could understand his little silences and body language (and then again, she’d been his very first friend). 

“We’re going back to the school,” Mal announced, throwing a scathing glance at the adults still watching them - challenging any of them to protest. 

“And,” Ben jumped in. “You are all under strict orders not to detain Carlos de Vil or any of the children participating in our island rehabilitation program again. And that’s an order. We will work it all out tonight. Or this week. Because I am King.” It still sounded almost… foolish when Ben said it, but Jay supposed that didn’t make it any less legitimate. 

“Ben.” Adam’s face was stormy, but even he seemed a little lost. Ben was King. There was no denying that now. “We are not done discussing this. Don’t let them leave just yet!” 

But none of the doctors moved, all staring at Ben nervously. The power rested on a new head now, and thankfully, their orders were coming from someone who was on the island’s side. 

Mal had already urged their gang most of the way towards the door. Ben might’ve been the one receiving the title, but ever since she’d crowned him, Jay noticed that her eyes were just a shade brighter than before.

“Guess you really are a fae now,” Jay muttered as they stepped out the door - leaving the whole scene behind them. 

“I,” Mal bristled, squinting at him, “was always a fae.” 

“I know.” He nudged her gently - almost affectionately - before staring off at Carlos safely walking a few steps ahead with Evie. “Thank you. For…” Jay couldn’t seem to find the right words. For getting Carlos back, for trusting him, for calling him on his shit, for being… his friend.

Luckily, Mal didn’t need him to say anything more. “You’re welcome.” After a few seconds, she grinned. “You said you loved him.” 

Jay hadn’t forgotten, but part of him had hoped everyone else had. “I wasn’t lying,” he sighed. “I just don’t know if he’s - if  _ I’m  _ \- ready for… that.” 

An image of Carlos’ scars - white and covered in his mother’s blood - flashed behind his eyelids. And as they walked, his own hand came up to graze his arms - also littered with divets and ghosts of blades and broken glass bottles. They were scarred. There was no denying that. But that didn’t mean they were broken, necessarily - just a little… beat up. 

The four of them continued to walk. The city sidewalks were slick - it must’ve rained while they were inside - but Jay didn’t mind. Under the street lamps, it looked rather like the cement was glowing. He didn’t mind walking back to campus, even though Ben probably would’ve given them a ride if they’d stuck around. It was nice to be with his crew again…  _ just  _ his crew. And the night air was cool and fresh - a welcome change from the stuffy hospital and the hours of barely contained panic. 

“We were worried about you, ‘Los,” Jay said finally. It was an admission he didn’t need to make, nor was it one that he’d expected to make. Carlos turned and stared at him, studying him carefully. “And I know… I said a lot of things. But don’t think you need to… respond to any of what I said. Especially that last bit. I was just worried. But - what I said - it’s true. I didn’t lie. Just know that there’s no pressure or anything, okay?” 

_ I know,  _ Carlos signed again.

They marched onward. Every so often, Evie and Mal would strike up a conversation in low tones or Jay would do something to make Evie giggle. It was nice to finally be free of the piercing, staring eyes of the Auradonian adults - a feeling Jay hadn’t been able to shake since stepping foot in the kingdom. 

Jay didn’t expect Carlos to speak - it wasn’t something any of them needed from him and he no longer had anything to prove - but as they neared campus again, Carlos stopped. Evie and Mal quickly followed, eyeing him carefully. 

“Jay?” 

Jay blinked, his heart beating quicker. Hearing Carlos say his name never got old. “Yeah?” 

“Me too.” 

“Huh?” Jay wet his lips quickly, his mind now racing along with his heart. 

Carlos’ chest rose and fell, his eyes never leaving Jay’s face. “Me too. I love you, too.” 

Forbidden. Taboo. Cursed. Capable of destroying every wall, every calloused part of him that Jay had worked so hard to build up. 

Those three words hung in the night air, glistening temptingly - ready to burn him should he accept their weight. But Jay let them come, let them bury deep into his chest and his mind and his heart. They were for him; and he wanted them. 

Carlos was coming closer now, rising on the balls of his feet. And when his lips were inches from Jay’s, he signed two more simple words: 

_ Kiss me?  _

And Jay had never wanted to do anything more. 

Carlos’ lips were chapped and salty and in Jay’s haste, he might’ve accidentally bumped their teeth together a bit, but Jay relished every second of it anyway. 

Evie’s laughter broke through the moment, causing them to pull back. It wasn’t mean laughter, though; it was almost… joyful. 

“I’m happy.” She said it like it was a foreign concept to her, and maybe it was. “I think… I think I’m happy.” 

“Whatever, Princess.” He grinned in direction, throwing in a flirty wink for old time’s sake. “It’s just ‘cause I’m around.” 

Mal rolled her eyes, reaching out and took Evie’s hand and then Carlos’. Getting the message, Jay quickly joined hands with them, too. They stood like that - linking in a circle - breathing softly. The rest of the night was still and quiet - even the sounds of the city were duller now that they were nearly back to campus. 

“I can’t promise that none of us will ever get hurt,” Mal said in a low voice. “But I do claim you all. Each and every one of you. Your flaws. Your scars. Your hearts. They’re mine. Got it? And I will protect you or die trying.” 

Jay nodded along with the other three. “I will, too,” he said after a few beats. “You know I will.” 

_ Me, too, _ Carlos signed. Despite his rollercoaster of an evening, he looked just as determined as their fearless leader. 

“Same here,” Evie said breathlessly, nodding. 

They would head back to school soon, Jay knew. They would fall into their beds and wake up the next morning. They would don their uniforms and head to school. They would try not to think about their parents or their pasts or their futures. And they would have each other. 

He knew that most of all. 

And for the first time, it didn’t scare him. 

_ You were wrong, Dad,  _ Jay thought, shaking his head.  _ These people haven’t made me weaker. They’d made me… different. But not weaker.  _

And if Carlos crawled into his bed at the end of the day or wore his jackets a bit more often than before, or if he sported a couple purple hickeys the following Thursday and stole a pack of condoms from inside Chad Charming’s locker on Friday, Jay definitely didn’t mind. 

Because despite all the Auradon haircuts and the new suits and the manners, he knew the truth: they’d been born on the island, raised in filth, and survived by any means possible. They’d stolen cans of fruit and bread, stabbed and punched and ran, and  _ no  _ amount of royal protection or fussing would change that. 

And maybe that was okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading :) as always, kudos and comments are always appreciated !

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading 
> 
> also come talk all things jaylos with me on my tumblr: @unapologeticallyjaylos


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